A/N: Hey?


Chapter 6: Face to Briefcase


"What's meant to be will always find a way."

-Unknown

"Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy-tale."

-Unknown


"Whoever she is, she must not be in today. We've searched the entire building."

Her freshly done French-tip forgotten Hanna absentmindedly bit her lip as she paced along the wooden floors. "Are you absolutely sure, Cas?"

"Positive. We've sent an email to all the female lawyers here, and the email system is the female version of the water cooler around here, but no one's replied."

Hannaspared aglance over to the two boys, now absorbed in another one of their clients designs, and felt a pang in her heart. It'd been a while since she'd seen Toby as happy as he was, way too long. So, if whoever this coffee girl was could get him to smile like that, like he had before that bitch had ruined him, then she'd search to the ends of the earth and back, give up her treasured pair of louboutins, and chew off her own nails till they were stubs before she'd even consider deserting this mission. With Cas was dealing with the Spencer issue, Hanna had already dedicated herself to helping the man who was basically her brother and her future-husband's best friend restore his faith in love.

Besides, she needed to thank this girl personally.

"Have you asked, Spence?" Hanna said, her pacing quickening and attracting some curious looks from the two men. "She, like, basically memorized every lawyer in your building when she was gunning for that promotion last year, didn't she? Remember she recited them in alphabetical to us that one time? She was scary."

Cas let out a strange sound between a chuckle and a snort.

(And from the distance Hanna heard Spencer whine, "I'm not scary. Am I scary?" and Cas' reply of "A little.")

"Well," Cas started, "your description wasn't very detailed, so we don't have a lot to go on here. Spencer said she may be able to help if you can be more specific, like an actual name..."

"I've got a guy here who could probably write poetry about the color of her hair, but we don't have time for that." Hanna groaned. "It's all I've got. Where's Veronica Mars when we need her? "

"Just...find something else out and fast. Spencer's a few seconds away from throwing herself back into her work, and I don't think I'll be able to fish her out this time."

"Okay." Hanna sighed. "I'll call you back if we find something. Tell Spence take it easy, last time she worked this hard she almost went bald..."

Hanging up her cell phone, Hanna planted herself back into the spare chair.

"Are you sure there's nothing else you can remember?" Hanna asked the blue-eyed carpenter. Toby shook his head. "Nothing at all? At this point anything would help."

Toby frowned.

"She did have this book, Catcher in the Rye, she said it was specially printed by a friend. But, I don't know how that'll help…"

"It's something at least."

"What are you going to do?" Caleb inquired, tossing a stray rubber band ball in the air and catching it. "Head over to Wendell'sand ask every female lawyer whether she has a special copy of some book?"

Hanna smiled as her blue eyes shone with new inspiration, a sight that slightly disturbed the two men in her presence, and slid her bag back onto her shoulder before standing back up. "Get up, guys. We have a firm to get to."

"Hold up, Blondie." Caleb said, motioning between himself and Toby. "We can't just leave."

"Caleb's right Hanna. We still have a lot of work to do here." Toby ran a hand threw his hair. "Maybe we can go around lunch?"

"And what? Wait around reception while she goes out to grab a multigrain muffin?" Hanna perched both her hand on her hips. "You have to take the leap and we have to go now, otherwise you may never find her."

"We still can't just leave."

Hanna rolled her eyes. "You guys are the bosses, right? Give each other the day off or something. I do it all the time."

Caleb and Toby shared a collective shrug and simultaneously grabbed their jackets.

"By the way," Hanna called, already out of the office. "We're stopping by a Starbucks. Techno, here, could really use a latte cause he's unusually snarky today."


Spencer was exactly three-fourths through writing her first brief when Cas poked her head into her office.

Spencer sighed. It had taken a lot of threats (most of them empty) and a reminder that she had a meeting to attend before Cas had reluctantly left Spencer's office. Unfortunately, Spencer had underestimated Cas' treat to return so they could "finally get to the bottom of this rut you've dug yourself in."

Realising all chances of finishing the brief had cowered straight out the door as soon as Cas' sashayed her way across the room, eyes burning unsaid accusations into the side of Spencer face, and plopped down into the chair across from her.

Spencer, never backing down from a challenge but at the same time pushing her papers to the side (cause Cas was just as stubborn as her so dammit this could take a while), looked straight back at Cas. "Is there something I could help you with?"

Cas crossed her legs and crossed her arms, eyes begging Spencer to try and prevent the inevitable. Spencer raised an eyebrow and mimicked Cas' stance, and both remained unwavering.

Cas broke the silence first.

"Have you thought of what you next move will be, councillor?"

"I have thought about it." Spencer said, stare sharp." And I have come to the conclusion that you, councillor, are guilty of abuse of process with your blond haired partner-in-crime acting as an accomplice. And that I have the right to be acquitted under the circumstances."

"Bullshit." Cas shot back, not missing a beat. "The defendant is obviously guilty of denial of evidence for refusing to recognize the evidence that is valid and true. You, councillor, in the case of 'Brooks and Coffee Shop' vs. 'Hastings' are hereby found guilty and your verdict it that you will talk to me about it, goddammit."

"Don't start, Cas."

"No." Cas said, brown eyes showing a seriousness usually only seen in court. "I am sick and tired of seeing you walking and talking around here but not actually acting like the real Spencer."

"I don't have time for this Cas."

"And there's that, again!" Cas exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Whenever anyone wants to talk to you about something you don't want to hear you just shut them down. Ever since you and Wren broke up, you've put up this guard. And, yeah, I get that you were in love with him, Spence. Okay? I get it. But that doesn't give you right to go around sulking and acting like this untouchable lawyer that doesn't let anything get to her. You don't have to be that girl. You don't have to let him win."

"If you're so sure of everything you're so sure about, you should know how much Wren hurt me. You, as my friend, should be understanding that I just need some time."

"Time? We're lawyers, half the time we spend here is we're playing Spider Solitaire. All we've got is freakin' time! It's what you do with it that's important."

Spencer frowned. "What I don't need is to sit here and be criticised for no good reason."

"What you need, Spence?" Cas crossed her arms and tilted her head looking sympathetically at the brunette." Is some courage, okay? Cause all you've been doing since the Wren incident is whinging about love and avoiding any and all forms of male attention that isn't strictly platonic. Heck, you're avoiding some genuine interest from someone who seems like a decent human being. So, ipso facto you are a coward. "

Spencer cut in. "I've told you. It wasn't…"

"...like that. I know." Cas rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap, Hastings."

Spencer opened her mouth to remind Cas that this was a place of business and what happened in her love life was really none of her business, friends or not. But luckily for both parties, the brunette was interrupted by her sandy blonde haired, soon to be ex-, assistant.

"Miss Hastings?Sorry to disturb, but Hanna Marin is here to see you down in reception," His blue eyes gleamed impishly," and she brought her boytoy along with her too. Oh, hey Cas."

Spencer pushed herself out of the chair and straightened her skirt, "Chad? You're still on probation for your little booze-binge with Miss Brooks, okay? So, leave Mr. River's alone. He didn't appreciate you congratulating him on how his butt looked in his jeans the last time. And you may have been able to distract Hanna momentarily with The Housewife… last time, but I doubt it'll work again."

Spencer walked up to Chad. "And I might just let her maim you this time."

Chemically blanched teeth threatened to blind her as Chad sent her a kilowatt smile. "Did I mention I got you a muffin basket? And that illegitimate coffee you love so much?"

"Atta boy." Spencer called back, as she marched up to into waiting elevator.

Just as the sliding doors began to close a black satin Chloë pump stopped the, as Cas walked into the elevator and stood next to Spencer.

"Truce? Cas asked, her nervous smile pleading with Spencer.

"Truce."

Cas' smile brightened as the doors closed. "Meeting is adjourned, for now."

"Adjournment sine die, Cas." Spencer replied, slightly stern, as she pushed the floor number for reception. "Sine die and ad infinitum."


"Miss? Can you please stop pacing?" The anxious receptionist asked, alarm and dismay that one of the lawyer would see the blond clear on her face. "You are going to scrap the wooden floors with your heels, and we've just had them redone."

Hanna stopped her pacing to eye the tiny redhead behind the front desk. Dull black suit and white blouse combo? Check. Make-up non-existent and hair scrapped back into a too tight pony tail? Check. Hanna automatically rolled her indigo eyes. Obviously this woman took her job, like, way too seriously.

"If you'd let me go upstairs and talk to my friend like I asked, I wouldn't have to pace."

"Sorry, Miss…"

"Mrs Rivers." Hanna said, idly twirling her engagement ring and completely oblivious to the dopy smile taking residence on her, and her eavesdropping fiancé's, face.

"Mrs Rivers." Black suit corrected, pushing the rim of her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. "In spite of the fact that it's highly unlikely that she is here at lunch, I've told Miss Hastings' assistant that you are here waiting for her. I'm sure she is on her way."

"Yeah? Well, as her best friend," Hanna said, stressing her words," I think I know her better than you. And I can tell you for a fact she's working through lunch and getting down here is the last thing on her mind. Plus Chad is in hot water with her, the last thing he'd want to do is interrupt her while she's working."

"Mrs Rivers, I'm not going to pretend that I understand why you need to see a lawyer at lunch time. Or why there are two men here to accompany to do so," Her eyes moving over to where Toby and Caleb where lazily flipping through magazines, "but it's against protocol to let someone into the firm without an appointment."

"C'mon," Hanna groaned. "Um…" Hanna squinted, reading her name tag. "Sarah? Can't we forget protocol this once?"

Sarah suit shook her head, her glasses sliding down the rim of her nose once again.

"As much as I hate this job, it pays damn well and I'm not planning to lose it anytime soon. So no, we can't." Sarah lifted the phone. "I'll call Miss Hastings' assistant again, okay? Please take a seat."

Hanna scowled at the receptionist, but returned to the leather couch and plopped down next to Caleb sighing loudly.

"Having some trouble?" Caleb inquired, putting the newspaper he had been half-heartedly scanning back down onto the coffee table, full attention now on the frustrated blond.

Fixing a random strand of hair back into her bun, Hanna answered, "Momentary hitch. Spencer's taking her freaking time getting down here."

"Patience, Hanna." Toby said, eyes glittering with amusement at the worked up blond. "I've waited this long, an hours nothing."

Hanna stuck her bottom lip out, obviously annoyed but nodded.

"You know what's funny though?" Toby said.

"The customer service in this place? God, you'd think a place of this standard would at least hire someone with a decent fashion sense." Hanna turned to Caleb. "Remind me to issue a dress code to the hotel staff at our reception."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "Ignore her. What we're you saying?"

Toby chuckled. "Just, don't you think it's weird that I've known you two forever but I had no idea you knew you had friends that worked here? I mean, I've never even met Cassandra or Spencer."

"I don't know? "Hanna shrugged. "You never asked and It just never came up."

"Besides," Caleb added, "Cas is a bridesmaid and Spencer is Hanna's maid of honour. You would have met them at the wedding. It's no big."

"It's just strange is all." Toby chuckled. "I hear you guys mention then occasionally but I've never seen them. Have you been hiding them from me?"

"Trust me, you'll love them. And hey," Hanna replied, with a shrug, "if this thing with the coffee girl doesn't work out, I'm sure you and Spencer will hit it off."

Caleb turned to his fiancé. "I thought you were out of the match making business."

Hanna shrugged.

"Just a hunch."


There are a lot of moment that Spencer Hastings remembers in striking detail.

She can remember the tastes and smells of her elementary, high school, and college graduation. She remembers the feel of the satin material of her Prom dress and the dazzling decorations that had transported her school gym and her class mates to a more elegant and ancient time (Timeless Love, she had of course chosen the theme). She even remembers that fateful day in middle school when she'd first Alison, and that long awaited day when she'd waved goodbye to the witch forever.

She'd always thought it was one of the perks of having a photographic memory, her life was like a collage of pictures she could access alone in her mind. Of course, she remembered the less-than-perfect and down right shameful times her life but remembering even a miniscule moment of pure unadulterated happiness always outweighed it.

And as she and Cas exited the elevator, Spencer is sure that thirty, forty, sixty years from now whatever may happen to her or whatever she may do this will be the one of those memory that will make it all worth it. She will always remember it with the clarity of a diamond, as clearly as if she was looking at the scene play over and over again.

Because as she walks into the reception, she sees him.

The months apart has changed some things about his appearance; the slight fuzz of facial hair he had been sporting was gone, smooth sinful skin in its place, a suit replaced his heavy coat and jeans, and he was talking and laughing with Hanna and Caleb like it was second natural. (Spencer wonders absentmindedly if he'd truly that comfortable with all stranger and finding herself hoping he's not, that she was special.) But she remembers everything about him as she nears. Remembers the warm sound of his laugh, the curve of his jaw as she speaks and the inviting sound of his voice.

She is so taken aback by this that she blinks, falling out of step with Cas for a millisecond, wondering if she is seeing things. Telling herself, again, the improbability that this scene before her is real. Tells herself to snap back into reality before she embarrasses herself.

But suddenly Hanna spots the pair, tapping her friend's knee and pointing in her direction, and before she knows it her mystery man is looking straight at her.

And its there, looking into his eyes, when she realises she isn't dreaming.

The blue of his eyes, just as perplexing as it had been when they first met, lighten in recognition. And suddenly, tine stops and she takes it all in; the sounds, the smells, the look on his face, the depth of his smile, the hue of his eyes. Because somehow in a deep no yet discovered part of her, she knows that this is the moment that will last her a lifetime and she finds herself smiling wildly as she nears him, mesmerised by the smile playing on his handsome features and amused by the confusion on her friends.

Because this is their moment, and they don't needs to, don't want to share it. Without word they know why their smiling, they know what this means.

He'd found her.

"Hello."


Phew. Don't know how that went.

Okay. Don't kill me….I know I said October and it's like mid-Novemeber but all I can say is school is a slave driver and it's killing me. But I realised that I haven't updated in ages and dammit this story is important to me so school can sit the hell down for a moment and let me write.

Oh, and #Cas laying down the law! basically what Spencer says at the end means, in lawyer speak, case dismissed to never be opened again. #HannaHunchs, self explanatory right? BTW how many of you are thinking, Finally Muviri, for god sakes its been SIX CHAPTERS.By the way, If anyone can think of better quotes tell me, mine suck.

(Why am I hashtagging? Blame tumblr.)

I will try and update soon (so much inspiration at the moment.).

There's and extra bit after this A/N that wanted to be in the last section of this, which by the way is way shorter than I wanted, but just did not fit. But heck I found it cute, maybe you will? (Yay, Lil' Hanna! )

R&R

(Tell me what you thought of their first meeting (love at second meeting kinda thing? No? Sorry, not sorry.) and the chapter as a whole. Or if only just to threaten me.)


EXTRA BIT


(She remembers the time in the second grade when her parents had forgotten to pick up their youngest daughter from school. She remembers the "hello" and "how was school?"'s she heard exchanged by many of her classmates and their parents. Remembers pitiful looks she received from parents before they asked her if she was okay, she can almost hear her younger self reply with fake enthusiasm that she was okay. Remembers how hard it was to hold the tears inside, until the last kid had been picked up and the girl in the round rimmed glasses and fashionable patchwork blazer had been left on the curb, tears falling into the book open on her lap. Remembers the feel of a light tap on her shoulder, and her not very well concealed attempt to cover up her tears, and the startled face of the slightly chubby girl she recognized from her English class as Hanna Marin. Remembers Hanna pulling her off the curb, not saying a word, and escorted her to Mrs Marin's car where Spencer sat next to two other girls (Emily from gym, who offered her a tissue, and Aria who complimented her on the book she was holding) while Hanna slid into the front explaining to her mother that Spencer would be coming to play at their house today. )