A/N: I am so sorry everybody. This was supposed to be up before Christmas. It's just that this was a long chapter for me to write and needed to make sure I got everything in. You can just think of this as a belated Christmas/New Year's gift. I definitely wanted to have this up before the show returns next week, I did good on that part. So, enough talking, I'm sure you're anxious to read this chapter. Always remember, reviews/favorites/follows makes me happy and update faster. :)

~Chapter Three~

~~ A ~~

September

Emily/Spencer/Aria/Hanna

"Ready? You gotta climb up the rope ladder, through the tunnel, across the bridge, and down the slide."

"Can one a you boys give me a push?"

"Ready!"

"First one to Molly wins!"

The four friends were hanging out at the park reconnecting, allowing their children to do the same. It was a nice, breezy fall day. The leaves were just starting to change colors and fall from the branches, which crackled as the children trampled them. Emily, Spencer, Aria, and Hanna watched, laughingly, as Liam and Tyler raced around trying to out beat each other. Even though Tyler was younger, he could still mostly keep up with Liam. They weren't leaving Molly out, though. When they finished their race, after Liam exclaimed his victory, they took turns pushing Molly on the swings.

Being five months pregnant each, Spencer and Hanna sat on a bench, and Emily had brought a blanket, which they spread next to the bench for the kids to have their lunch on. Aria and Emily were the only ones sitting on it right now. It was the first weekend in a few weeks that they all had free; they had to catch up with each others' lives.

"Ok, so Aria, spill," Hanna said, leaving over as far she could to peer at Aria sitting on the blanket.

"Spill what?" Aria asked innocently. She avoided looking at her friends by pretended to dust of her boots.

"C'mon, Aria, you know what she means," Emily insisted, bumping her shoulder against Aria's.

"Yeah, what was it like seeing Fitz again," Spencer added, leaning back against the bench with her hands resting on her belly.

"Guys, really, there's nothing really to talk about," Aria replied, not the least bit convincingly. "We barely saw each other for a minute before Jason walked up." She distracted herself with a loose thread on the blanket.

"So, you're saying you have no residual feelings for Ezra? No sexual tension left between the two of you?" Hanna prodded.

"Residual?" Spencer repeated, turning to look at Hanna with a look of surprise.

"Yeah, it's a new word," Hanna answered, nonchalantly.

Spencer raised her eyebrows at the blonde.

"I'm with Jason now," Aria continued. She looked down at her hands to avoid her friends' looks. "Whatever was between Ezra and me before is gone now. It's in the the past. I've moved on."

"Okaaay."

"Riiight."

"I don't buy it." They all turned to look at Hanna. "You two had this great big epic romance, but you were forced to go separate ways. Now, he's back and you can finally have your happily ever after."

"Hey, I thought you all liked Jason," Aria said, confused at her friends sudden enthusiasm for Team Ezria.

"We do like him," Spencer assured her.

"He's still kind of a creep," Hanna muttered, under her breath. Spencer elbowed Hanna's arm.

"We just want to make sure you're okay and happy," Emily told her, placing her hand on Aria's arm.

"Yeah, I know," Aria replied. "I'm fine, really. So, can we please change the subject to something other than my love life."

"So, how are you two doing?" Emily asked Hanna and Spencer, obliging with Aria's request. "Do you know the sex of the babies yet?"

Both girls immediately smiled, glowing with happiness."I'm feeling really good," Hanna spoke first. "Actually, Caleb and I have a doctor's appointment in a few days. We're going to find out whether it's a boy or girl then."

"That's so exciting," Aria smiled, genuinely. "I remember learning that Liam was a boy and then...my daughter. It's just so...I don't know. It makes it real." She shrugged, recalling her own memories, along with being happy for her friends. "What about you, Spence?"

"Well, Toby and I decided this time we're going to be surprised," Spencer explained, "We're not going to know what it is until I deliver."

"Oooo, that's a good idea," Hanna chimed in. She leaned back against the bench and stretched her legs out, her hands resting over the other atop her belly. "That sounds like fun, except...wait, I don't think I'll be able to stand the suspense. I'd have to know."

Spencer cradled her own belly with both arms. "Everybody has a different preference," she said.

"Em, are you okay?" Aria asked her friend, seeing her watching Spencer and Hanna almost a little sadly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Emily said, then she added, "I'm happy for all of you, really, except I can't help but feel a little bit jealous watching you guys go through pregnancies, having children of you own."

When the others started to say something, Emily held up her hand to stop them. "Then, I realize how lucky Maya and I are to have Molly and Mackenzie. They are ours in every way, it doesn't matter that we didn't birth them ourselves," Emily continued. She watched Molly on the swings, being pushed by Liam and Tyler. "I see so much of myself, and Maya, in them. It's uncanny."

"They're two special little girls," Aria agreed, giving Emily's hand a squeeze.

"Yeah, and, besides, it's not all sunshine and roses with this pregnancy thing," Hanna joked. They all joined in with her laughing.

"Speaking of, how is Mackenzie doing?" Spencer asked.

Emily took a deep breath before she began. "Physically, she's fine. She has just had a few small headaches, but the doctors are monitoring her. If her headaches become more frequent and intense, then surgery would become her only option. It's just..." Emily stopped, trying to keep her emotions in, afraid she was going to break down.

"It's just what, Em?" Hanna encouraged her to go on. They each gave her their undivided attention, showing that it was okay for her to lean on them. Aria slipped her arm around Emily's shoulders.

"Kenzie had made a friend, Sophie," Emily explained, "Having a friend was really helping to make the hospital more comfortable for her. Well, the other day, Sophie went in for a heart transplant, and...she didn't come out."

Three small gasps escaped Aria's, Hanna's, and Spencer's lips. They immediately thought of their own children, the fragility of their lives.

"It just makes me more afraid of Mackenzie having the surgery," Emily admitted. "I mean, it's brain surgery. It's a very risky procedure; she might not wake up."

Aria pulled her friend into a hug. "It's okay, Em, we're all praying for her," she reassured her, "Kenzie's a strong little girl. She's going to make it through this."

Spencer reached down and squeezed Emily's shoulder in a soothing way. Hanna leaned forward slightly. "Yeah, we're rooting for her," then she tried to cheer Emily up. "I'd get down and hug you, but I won't be able to get back up." They all laughed.

Suddenly, there came a cry from the playground. Their attention tore from each other as they each checked to make sure their child was okay. Molly was lying in the sand, crying, in front of the swings. Her swing was slowing down until it eventually came to a stop. Liam was helping Molly up, while Tyler stood back with both hands covering his mouth.

Emily had stood up, upon seeing that it was her daughter who was crying. "Molly, are you okay?" she asked. Emily checked her over with her eyes for any physical damage as Liam walked her over. Aside from some sand still clinging to her black stretch pants and turquoise shirt, she didn't look to be hurt, but she was still crying.

"I fell!" Molly cried.

"I didn't do it! I didn't mean it! It was an accident!" Tyler exclaimed, trailing behind the other two.

Liam lifted Molly over the border that surrounded the playground and carried her to Emily. Emily picked Molly up in her arms. "I hurt my nose," Molly whined, wiping her eyes with one hand and rubbing her nose with the other. Emily gave her a sympathetic look, and brushed her nose with Molly's, getting her to giggle a little bit.

"What didn't you do?" Spencer asked Tyler, when he walked up to her.

"He pushed me!" Molly squealed before Tyler could speak, squirming in Emily's arms. Emily knelt down, releasing Molly from her arms.

"Nuh-uh, I did what Li-um did!" Tyler argued.

"Yes, you did!" Molly shouted.

"No, I didn't!" Tyler shouted back.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Liam interjected, putting his arms out and separating the two bickering toddlers. "Me and Ty were taking turns pushing Molly on the swings and he just pushed her a little too hard, that's all."

"No, he did it on Purpose!" Molly glared at Tyler around Liam.

"NO, you wanted to go higher!" Tyler shot back.

"But I didn't wanna eat DIRT!" Molly yelled at him.

" 's not dirt, it's sand," Tyler corrected. "Right, mommy?" He turned his blue-eyed gaze on Spencer.

"Right, but you really need to be careful when you're pushing someone on the swings," Spencer told him, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

Molly stuck her tongue out at Ty, looking triumphant. Tyler did it back to her, pushing his tongue out further than she did.

"Alright, how about lunch?" Aria suggested, as a distraction for the children.

"Good idea, mommy," Liam agreed. The three children gathered around to receive their McDonald's happy meals. They sat down on the ground in a circle, Molly the only one sitting on the blanket. The fight was completely forgotten about as they laughed and peeked at what the others had in their bags.

Molly had her chicken nuggets in her lap, while she poked the straw into her apple juice box. Tyler and Liam both shook their chocolate milk up and opened it, though Tyler handed his to Spencer to open.

Tyler started to eat his chicken nuggets, but then he saw Liam unwrapping a cheeseburger. "Hey, I wanna a cheeseburger like Li-um," Tyler said.

"Tyler, baby, you don't like it, remember," Spencer told him. "Last time, you made daddy take off the pickles, mustard and ketchup, and you still didn't eat it."

"Oh," Tyler replied, taking a bite of a chicken nugget.

"Oooo, I gotta Hello Kitty key chain," Molly cooed, pulling her toy out of her bag amidst eating her chicken nugget. "I can put this on my coat, right mommy?" She held it up to her jacket zipper.

Both boys saw her get her toy, and so they both dug in their own bags for their toys. They each pulled out the same object in the shape of Spiderman's head. "What is it?" Liam wondered, turning it over and then pulling the plastic off.

"It looks like a cheap plastic toy," Hanna murmured to the other girls. They all stifled laughs.

The boys eventually figured out that it was a telescope. You look through the back and you can see through Spiderman's eyes. They finished up their lunch and played for a few more minutes, until it was time to go. Emily had to get to swim practice and Spencer had to meet with a client at her office. They all said good-bye and promised to do this on a regular basis. They couldn't go this long without hanging out again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Emily

The strong odor of chlorine permeated through the air of the natatorium. Splashes in the water echoed around the cavernous space. Fourteen high school girls filled the area, seven of them doing laps in the Olympic-size swimming pool. A whistle rang out, and those seven girls swam to the edge of pool to switch with the last group. Catching their breath, they climbed out of the pool and wrapped themselves in towels and took a drink. The last seven girls lined up at the starting block. A quick blow of the whistle sent them diving into the water, cutting into it at the same rhythm.

With the whistle still resting between her lips, Emily walked over and sat down on the team bench, looking down at her clipboard. She was trying to figure out the order for the relay race.

"I'd put Alexa and Janie back to back," a voice said at her shoulder. "They're real competitive around each other. They'll try to out beat each other, along with the competition. Just like you and me."

Emily turned her head to see Paige standing next to her. The whistle fell down around her neck. "Yes, I remember," she replied. Then, she turned back to the roster. "Are you sure?" she questioned.

"Definitely," Paige replied. She looked down at the clipboard, then pointed to a name. "Yeah, I think Rachel would do really well last, too. So, do you want to test out my theory?"

"Ok, let's try it out," Emily agreed, standing up.

They walked back to the pool, Paige just behind Emily. Paige slipped her hand into her pocket, touching the family photo that was there. She found it outside of Emily's office on the floor, like it had fallen out of her bag or something. Emily looked so happy and beautiful in the picture, and that was about the only thing she liked about the photo. Paige took her hand back out of her pocket, walking more confidently to Emily's side.

Emily blew two short blows on her whistle to get the girls' attention. The team all gathered around the two coaches, some of them dry and some of them dripping wet. "Ok, listen up," Emily announced, "We're going to practice the relay. If you are not in this event, you may go sit on the bench but watch. When I call your name, line up at the starting block."

Emily looked out at the team, and then consulted the roster again. "Leading off, I have Samantha, then Riley, Alexa, Janie, and last will be Rachel," Emily called. She dropped the clipboard down on a dry part of the floor. She put the whistle to her lips and held up her stopwatch. Emily blew the whistle, and the first swimmer dove into the water.

"So...you and Maya are happy?" Paige called over the sound of the swimmers.

"What?" Emily shook her head apologetically, touching her ear to tell Paige that she didn't hear her.

"You and Maya?" Paige repeated, a little louder.

"I'm sorry, I can't-" Emily replied.

Before she knew it, the last swimmer was touching the wall, ending the race. Emily stopped the watch; looking at it in amazement. It was an excellent time.

"Wow, you were right," Emily exclaimed, turning to Paige with a smile.

"I told you," Paige smiled back. They hugged briefly in their excitement, then pulled away a little awkwardly.

Emily cleared her throat and turned to the Sharks. "Ok, girls, take a ten-minute break, but stay near the pool. Don't wander," she told the team. She turned to Paige, "Can you stay here for a second? I need to check something in my office real fast."

"Sure," Paige grinned, fingering her pocket again. Emily turned, heading for the locker room where her office was located. Before Emily got too far, though, Paige called her back, "Hey, Em, wait." She caught up to her has Emily turned back around. She pulled the photo out of her pocket. "I found this on the floor," Paige handed the photo over, "I believe it's yours."

"Oh, I didn't even know I lost it. It must have fallen out of my bag," Emily admitted, taking the photo. She looked at the photo lovingly, the picture was of her and Maya and the girls. They each held one of the twins outside their home, everyone smiling broadly, even Mackenzie.

"Those girls are adorable," Paige commented. "Are they yours?"

"Yeah, Maya and I adopted them about five months ago," Emily answered, smiling bigger if that was possible. "Sometimes, I actually find myself amazed that this has all happened. That we actually have them."

"I'm happy for you, Em," Paige said. "You deserve it."

"Thanks," Emily replied. She turned back around to start going to the locker room like she was before. She needed to check her phone to see if Maya called or texted. She left Paige in the pool area, feeling anything but happy for Emily.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maya

"But I don't wanna go to bed!" Maya sat on the floor in Molly's room at home, playing at the dollhouse with Molly. She had the baby barbie, making her voice go as high as it could. Molly had the mommy barbie.

"It's time for bed," Molly made the barbie tuck the baby into bed, after taking her from Maya first. "Now close your eyes and go to sleep." Molly looked up at Maya. "Sing her a lullaby."

"Mm-mm," Maya thought, then she tapped Molly on the nose. "Only if you sing with me."

Molly nodded. Then, they sang, "Hush little baby don't say a word, momma's gonna buy you mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won't sing, momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass-" Buzz. Buzz.

They were interrupted by Maya's phone vibrating on the dresser, where she had left it before she had sat down for playtime. Knowing it was probably Emily, she stood up. "Keep singing, I'll be right back," she told Molly. Her hand ran through the little girl's hair as she passed her.

"...momma's gonna buy you a looking glass..."

Maya picked up her phone, and saw that she had one new text message. But it wasn't from Emily. It was from an unknown or blocked number.

Hey, Maya, did you know that Emily and her new assistant

coach have an intimate history together. You should keep an eye on her.

~~A

"...And if that looking glass gets broke, momma's gonna buy you a billy goat..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aria

Aria sat on the couch in the family room, a shoe box on her lap. She's been sitting here for at least an hour; going through her past, smiling at some and tearing up at others. This box held all the objects she had once held close to her heart. Objects that each had a different memory of Ezra attached to them. Last, she pulled out a photograph.

The photo was of her and Ezra in his apartment, smiling and laughing as he tried to smile and hold the camera at the same time. Aria remembered this day. How could she not? It was the day before their relationship changed forever. When Ezra lost his job at Hollis and left Rosewood, to go back home, to get away from all the secrets and lies and scandals. As they made love for the first time, they promised to find each other again, and Liam was a product of their love. He was the reason why they would forever be bonded and would, one day, help them come together again. There was just one person Aria didn't want to hurt in all this. Jason. She never planned on falling in love with him; she just did. He was so invested in their family; she couldn't hurt him. Either way this played out, someone was going to get hurt.

"Mommy?"

Aria started at Liam's voice, she almost spilled the contents of the box on the floor. She looked over at her son, wearing a baseball hat on his head and his bat dragging in his hand. "Do you need something, Lee?" Aria asked, blinking to bring herself back to the present and out of the past.

"I can't find my glove," Liam said, tapping the bat two times against the floor.

"You looked in your room, right? I'm sure you'd find it if you room was clean," Aria told him. Liam just stared at her, not falling for the trick. "Maybe you left it outside. Are you playing baseball with Jason?"

"Yep, I have to be the bestest when it's time for baseball," Liam explained with a big smile. He walked to the front door to look for his glove outside, where Jason already was.

Aria looked down at the photograph still in her hand, and then back at Liam. "Liam, wait, let's talk for a minute," she called him back over to her.

"About what, mommy?" Liam asked, as he trudged back over to the sofa. He rested his hands on the arm of the sofa, his fingertips touching the fabric of Aria's sleeve.

Aria turned to face him fully. She rubbed the top of his hands. "About him," Aria answered, showing him the photo.

"Hey, that's the man we ran into when we were getting my school stuff," Liam pointed out, his finger pointing to Ezra's smiling face. "Mommy, that's you."

"Yeah," Aria smiled faintly. She took a deep breath. "Liam, he's your father." She waited for Liam's reaction.

"Him?" Liam questioned. Aria nodded. Liam studied the picture more closely, his eyebrows furrowing together and his eyes narrowing. Finally, he said, "We look the same!"

Aria laughed, "Yes, you do. Do you have any questions?" She tilted his hat up a bit so that she could see his face.

"Ummm, yeah," Liam stated. "Can I have that?" He pointed to the photo.

"Of course you can," Aria smiled at him. She handed him the picture and he smiled big. Liam took off his hat, placed the photo inside, and then put the hat back on his head. "You can go play now."

Liam ran out the door just as the phone rang. Placing the box on the coffee table, she got up and answered the phone. From where she stood, she could see out the window to Jason and Liam in the yard. Liam was batting and Jason was throwing the ball to him.

"Hello?" Aria said into the phone. What happened next caused her heart to start pounding so hard she thought it going to burst right through her chest.

"Aria."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jason

"Nice one, buddy," Jason cheered, catching the ball after Liam hit it. "You're going to be the hit of the team if you keep this up."

"Thanks," Liam replied, getting back into position. "But you're throwing 'em too easy, make it a hard one."

"Ok, here it goes," Jason said, winding up. Liam swung the bat and made contact with the ball. Jason ran for the ball, as Liam began running the bases.

"And it's a home run!" Liam exclaimed, rounding third base with his arms up in the air.

"Not so fast!" Jason ran to tag him out, and wound up tackling him to the ground. They rolled in the grass, laughing until Jason touched Liam with the ball. "You're out."

"Hey, you cheated," Liam grunted, but he was still laughing. He reached for his cap that had fallen off when he landed in the grass. A small rectangle next to Liam's hat caught Jason's eye.

"What's this?" Jason questioned, reaching for it and flipping it over. He stopped when he saw that it was a photo of Aria and Ezra. "Where did you get this?"

"Mommy gave it to me," Liam explained, "That's my dad."

It hurt Jason to hear Liam say that Ezra was his dad and not him. "Yeah, I know," Jason mumbled. "Listen, Liam, your dad isn't a good guy. He left you and your mommy a long time ago. It made your mommy real sad."

"He did?" Liam repeated, trying to understand everything. He brought his knee up and leaned his arm on it. "Well, maybe, he had a reason, like, maybe..."

Jason was already shaking his head. "Liam, no," Jason repeated. Liam looked dejected. "Here, go get you bat. We'll practice some more," he tried to cheer him up. Liam got up off the ground, putting the picture back in his hat.

Jason stood up as well, and his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out as he walked back to the 'pitcher's mound'. There was one new text message.

Manipulating children, Jason? Tsk tsk. You should

actually be worried about your girlfriend. She may be

falling back into the arms of her ex.

~~A

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Spencer

It was mid-afternoon, and Spencer was in her office at her law firm, after having just met with a client. Tyler was with Toby now, having some father son time. She looked up from what she was doing to, at first, the photo of Tyler, then the one of Toby, that sat on her desk. She smiled at the photos, feeling tired and just wanting to go home to be with them.

Her phone suddenly vibrated on the desk with a new text message. She picked it up, and saw that it was from Toby. Smiling, she opened it and read:

Ty couldn't wait to show you his new bed.

~~ Toby

There was an attachment and when she opened it, her heart melted. It was a picture of Tyler sitting on his new toddler bed with a big smile on his face. It was blue with his dinosaur pillow and blanket on it, along with a Stegosaurus stuffed animal. They had gotten Tyler the bed a few days ago, but Toby just now had time to put it together. Tyler was super excited to be giving his crib to his new baby brother or sister.

Spencer leaned back in her chair, her hand going to her belly. "You are going to be so loved, little one," she said to the baby, in soft tones. "Your big brother can't wait to meet you."

"You have to be careful around brothers."

Spencer jumped at the new voice in her office. The green-eyed brunette was standing in the doorway, looking so different without her dark glasses and cane. Jenna was the last person she wanted to see and there was no reason for Jenna to be here. Well, none that Spencer knew of. In fact, her secretary shouldn't have let Jenna back here.

"What are you doing here?" Spencer asked her, getting right to the point, her smile now gone.

"Spence, we're sisters-in-law," Jenna smiled coyly, walking further into the room. "It's been so long since I've seen my nephew. How is he? I hope you're taking care of of my future niece. Oh, I'm sorry I'm presuming, I just have a feeling... Toby, would be so good with a girl, don't you think?" She acted so innocent, that no one could suspect her of any wrongdoing. Anyone who didn't know her.

"Jenna," Spencer interrupted, standing up, much slower than she would have liked. At least, Jenna didn't try to help her. "Let's not chat about our lives and pretend that we like each other. Because, the truth is, I don't trust you, especially around my son."

She walked around the desk, past Jenna, and held the door open. "Now, I would like you to leave," Spencer instructed Jenna.

Jenna turned around, taking a couple of steps forward with her arms crossed. "You're not at all curious as to why I dropped by?" She questioned, all friendliness gone from her voice.

Spencer took a step closer to Jenna, crossing her own arms. "You see I was, but then I realized I don't really care," she explained, "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish my work so that I can go home to my family."

Jenna's eyes flared for a second, but then she was calm again. "I know something about Toby, Spencer," Jenna told her. "And it would destroy your perfect little family if you knew."

"I'm not interested in what you think you know about my husband," Spencer warned. She was getting agitated, but she was trying to stay calm for the sake of the baby. "So, I'm going to ask you one more time. Please leave, or I'll call security to escort you from the building."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," was the last think Jenna said before she brushed past Spencer and out the door.

Spencer closed the door behind her and leaned back against it. She put her hand to her belly again, and moved it circles. "I really don't like her, baby," She grinned down at her belly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Toby

"Daddy, is it a 'prise for mommy?" Tyler asked as he followed Toby into the garage. Tyler was dressed in old clothes, because they were going to be doing some painting and knowing Tyler, he was bound to get paint on him. They faced the rocking chair sitting on some drop cloths and had paint cans surrounding it.

"Yeah, mommy loves this chair," Toby explained to his little boy. "I just fixed the arm and the legs, because someone has been playing around on it." He smiled pointedly at Tyler.

"Oops," Tyler said, ducking his head.

"It's alright, buddy," Toby assured him, ruffling Ty's hair. "You know, daddy made this for mommy." He knelt down in front of Tyler.

"Really?" Ty asked, his head tilting to the side.

"Yep, and she used to rock you in it when you were a baby," Toby continued, smiling. "She used to sit there for hours and sing to you. And, now, we're going to make it nice again for the new baby."

"Mommy's going to be so happy!" Tyler exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Let's start!"

"Alright," Toby smiled back. Father and son wore matching smiles. Toby handed Tyler a paintbrush. "Now, you have to be careful and paint like a nice boy."

Tyler nodded, and plunged the brush into the can of white paint. Toby managed to stop him before the handle or Ty's hand was covered in paint. Toby showed him how to move the brush without making a mess or spattering paint. When Tyler had it, sitting on his knees and his tongue sticking out, Toby stood up to go work on the other side of the chair. His phone started buzzing as he was walking, and he pulled it out to see what Spencer had to say about Tyler's new bed.

It wasn't from Spencer.

Hey, Toby, how's the perfect little family? It sure

would be a shame if Spencer found out about your

BIG secret.

~~A

Toby glanced around the garage, but no one was there. There was only his son painting a rocking chair for his mommy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hanna

Hanna and Lucas walked along the sidewalk, both with a small cup of ice cream in their hands. They talked and laughed, just like old times. They spoke about each others' work. Lucas worked at a computer company, and, even though she didn't understand everything he said, she was still excited to hear that he was doing so well. They talked about her pregnancy, how excited she and Caleb were and that she didn't have morning sickness anymore. They could talk about anything, except that whenever Hanna mentioned Caleb, Lucas got this grim look on his face.

"So, we've been hanging out for a couple weeks, but there's something I'm curious about," Hanna said. They tossed the ice cream bowls into a trash receptacle as they walked.

"What is it?" Lucas asked.

"Well, that first day you came into the store," Hanna began, "When I walked in, you and Mona were talking pretty seriously and you two never talk. What was it about?"

Lucas was caught off guard. "Oh, um, we were, uh," Lucas stammered nervously. "Uh, Mona was, um, apologizing to me for everything she's said or done to me. It was all high school, in the past,...yeah."

"But-" Hanna started to say.

"It was weird, yeah, but I just kind of took it and accepted it. I didn't really want to her start with the names again," Lucas finished.

She nodded like she understood, but on the inside, she didn't really get it. She'd let it go for now. They were silent for a minute.

"Oh, hey, I bought you something," Lucas announced, bringing up the plastic bag he was carrying.

"You didn't have to get me anything," Hanna replied earnestly, though she was eying the bag to see what was in it.

"I wanted to, it's nothing special," Lucas smiled, bashfully. "It's actually for the baby."

"Awww," Hanna cooed, taking the bag from Lucas after he extended it to her. She reached into the bag and pulled out the thoughtful gift. It turned out to be a baby blanket, a soft fleece with multicolored circles adorning it. Hanna's smile got bigger as she gazed at it; she was touched by Lucas' generosity.

"It's gender neutral, so..." Lucas said, with nothing else to say to fill the silence. He wasn't sure if she liked it or if he overstepped.

"Thank you, it's wonderful," Hanna thanked him, appreciatively. Then, surprising him, she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. Well, as much as a hug as she could with her belly in the way. Lucas gave into the hug after a second. They went separate ways after that, promising to stay in touch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Caleb

I can't believe she would be two today, Caleb thought, as he and Hanna walked across the neatly trimmed lawn of Rosewood Cemetery. They passed headstones of different shapes and sizes, until they approached an old oak tree and the small headstone that lay underneath it. It was the perfect size for the small child not allowed to live past her birth.

Leslie Skye Rivers

Sept. 12, 2010

Hanna stopped short as Caleb walked all the way up to the grave. He knelt down in the grass in front of the headstone, unconsciously tracing his daughter's name with his finger. He heard Hanna take a deep breath, then her soft footsteps coming up behind him. Then, Hanna knelt down next to him. Caleb intertwined their hands, laying them on top of his leg.

"Happy birthday, little girl," Caleb whispered.

"Happy birthday," Hanna murmured. She looped her arm through Caleb's, entwined their fingers again, and lay her head on his shoulder.

Caleb took the pink and white flowers from Hanna's other hand, and laid them over the grave. "You're a good girl and we love you so much," Caleb continued, "And even though we're having another baby," They shared a quick smile before turning back to the grave, "we haven't forgotten about you."

Hanna nodded along with him, feeling a tear slip down her cheek and onto his shirt. Caleb swiped at his own eyes, before the tears fell.

"And we hope you'll look out for this baby and keep him or her safe," Hanna whispered. They sat there for a few more minutes, thinking of all the memories they could be having with their daughter had the accident never happened.

Then, Caleb stood up to let Hanna have a minute alone with Leslie. He moved a few steps away, leaning against the oak tree. He pulled his phone out to play a game while he waited and it buzzed in his hand. One new message.

Do you know what Hanna was doing ALL

day? Let's just say that friends weren't with

her.

~~A

Caleb looked over at Hanna, then back down at his phone. He didn't know what to believe, but he did know one thing.

A is back.

A/N: Dun Dun Dun! Oh no, it's A!Please review! I love hearing all you feedback, anything that runs through your mind as you read. :)