Hello, lovelies! Remember me? No? Meh, that's okay. Anyway, if you do remember me, let alone this story, you'll be pretty happy. I've just been busy as hell, and had a bit of writer's block. I just woke up with a jump with the idea for this chapter-at 4 in the morning, so I'm writing this while battling exhaustion.

I own nothing but the plot. All mistakes are mine.

You're pretty sure you're hurting Hanna's hand with the death grip you have on it, but honestly, you don't care. If anyone didn't know you well enough, they could tell by your breathing;you're terrified. As the transportation shuttle passes by a sign for the Ziplining company, you shudder.

"Hey." She nudges you with her shoulder. You jump, being thrust out of your own world. Her eyes sparkle. "You a little scared?" You can tell she's playing with you, because she's never scared. She could be trapped in a room filled with venomous snakes, and she'd be giggling about a joke she heard a few days ago.

"Little bit." You mutter, looking down and blushing. She pokes you in the ribs.

"But why?" She drawls, sounding like a Kindergartener. "You'll be safe, Em. I swear. And if we die, at least we'll die together." She says, and you hit her on the arm.

"I'm scared of heights, Han. You know that. I'm still trying to figure out why you guys are taking me ziplining! Why couldn't we have just stayed on the boat?" You whine, pouting. Ashley had revealed you we all going on a Ziplining your when you docked in the Bahamas. You'd pouted and worried all night, but Hanna had jumped around, filled with giddy excitement.

"It's gonna be fine, Em. I promise." She says, giving you a peck on the cheek. Despite your nerves, your heart flares up. Ever since what happened on the top deck a few nights ago, Hanna had been extra flirty and romantic. You hadn't talked about it, not that that shocked you. Everything was "yeah, babe." "What's up, beautiful?" "Sweetie, I'm hungry!" And nearly everything Hanna did was accompanied by a peck.

When you zoned back in from your Hanna-centric thoughts, you were pulling into a small parking lot, with signs pointing to various trails. Hanna let out an excited squeal. You shakily stand up, push aside your nerve-induced nausea, and exit the shuttle. Despite your feelings, you gape. The lot is covered by a thicket of trees, and tropical birds flit around like pieces of colorful confetti.

"It's so pretty." You murmur, and Hanna bumps your hip. You stumble, but manage to save yourself from the embarrassment of falling on your ass in front of like 20 people.

After you show a few people your admission bracelets, a tour guide walks up to the group. "Hello, friends! I'm Jeremy, and I'll be your instructor through this lovely experience! Follow me up this trail, and will be zippin' in no time!" He announces in an overly-chipper voice.

Hanna scoffs beside you. "Goober." You stifle a laugh. As Jeremy goes on and on about different kinds of birds and plants, you and Hanna share humorous whispers. For a few moments, it's like nothing ever changed. You're normal best friends for once.

When you reach the top of the cliff, a lead drops in your stomach. You'd vaguely heard Jeremy say "100 foot drop". Hanna grabbed your hand.

"Hey, it'll be okay." Ashley, who'd been chatting up a fellow tourist, moved to you with an odd look on her face.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna refrain. I have a really awful stomach ache. You guys can go ahead, and I'll meet you at the bottom okay?" Hanna nods, but you internally groan. Great. The only trusted adult I have with me can't even watch me fall to my death.

You all file into a line, Hanna edging toward the back, you know for your sake. You're grateful for that. The first person in line-a young teenager, gets harnessed, and in the blink of an eye, pushes off the edge, and whips across the gaping hole, swerving around the bend.

Before you knew it, you were next. As the passengers in front of you get strapped into the tandem harness, Hanna fidgets excitedly.

When you got the front. Hanna stands in front of you. Your feet feel ground into mud, but you step into the harness, Hanna in front of you. "Have fun." The tall man says as he hooks the clip to the line.

"You ready? I'll hold onto you the whole time." Hanna whispers, and despite yourself, you nod.

The man counts down, then yells "go!" And Hanna jumps off. You have no choice but to go with her, because you're together in one harness.

You feel your body being pulled toward the chasm, but you realize, you're not falling-you're floating. The line holds and you're being safely whipped across the line, Hanna lets out an excited wail, and you can't help but copy her. Your wind whips through the breeze, and the forest spreads out below you.

Within seconds, you're around the bend and on the other side, breathless. Your legs shake as you step out of the harness.

"Well?" Hanna says, anticipatingly as you walk back to the group, that's a little bit away from the end of the line.

You feel buzzed. You feel...like you can do anything. More specifically, you feel like you can do anything with no consequences. First, you stop walking, and turn to Hanna. Her eyes gleam. Before you realize what you're doing, you're lunging forward, and smashing Hanna's lips into yours. Your veins quiver. You clutch her shirt, and try to savor as much of her as you can. She kisses back, but her shock isn't hidden. Finally, when you can't breathe anymore, you back away.

Then, all at once, you're back in your own body. You become Emily Fields again. You realize you just kissed Hanna, and your heart falls. "Uh...Sorry." You finally whisper, shyly. She takes your hand, as you begin to walk to the group.

As you board the shuttle once again, you're silent. As you drive back to the dock, she leans her head on your shoulder, and a whisper escapes her lips.

"So I guess you liked it."

Her eyes shrink. "You..." She says, trailing off and starting that infamous quiver of her's. I twist my mouth. "W-want me...t-to..." She stutters, wrapping her small arms around herself. I jump in, my heart starting to beat rapidly.

"Hanna, only if you want to. If you're not ready, you don't have to. I just thought it might be a good idea." I say, nervously playing with a pillow. She keeps shaking.

"I-it probably is..." She says quietly, but doesn't move from her spot by the door.

Brook had just gone to bed an hour late, but I didn't really care. After she'd woken up this morning, she'd run right into my...our...bedroom, and gently rubbed Hanna's arm until she woke up. Hanna'd been sleeping cuddled up to me all night, reminding me of Brook when she would have nightmares. In the morning, I was lying with my back to her and she had her face buried in the back of my neck.

When Brook came in, at 10 to 8, I was already awake, but wanted to see how they'd interact without me intervening. After a pause, where I imagine Hanna had been remembering what had happened the day before, I'd heard Hanna say "Good morning, Brookie. How'd you sleep?"

I felt the mattress dip with Brook's weight, and Hanna scoot over so Brook could sit. "Good. I had a dream that me and you and mommy all went on a cruise and we got to eat breakfast with Cinderella! It was really fun, but then the Joker showed up and he took you away, mommy! And I tried to chase after you, but I couldn't move. Then I got really sad and then I woke up." Brook had said, and I felt her lie down. I also felt Hanna tense at the mention of a cruise.

"O-oh, yeah?" Hanna said, and I could tell by her voice, she was biting her lip. I also tensed and bit my own lip as the mention of the "Joker". I was about to sit up and have Brook leave, when Hanna finally spoke. "Well that won't ever happen, Brook. I promise. I...went away for a while, but I didn't want to. Now that I'm back...I'm never going away again, okay? I love you and your mommy way to much to do that." Hanna said, and I didn't hear what Brook responds.

I was shocked.

My heart felt to big for my chest and my brain felt like it was seeping from my ears. Did she just say she loves me and Brook? I couldn't move. I felt tears slide down my cheeks. I don't even know why.

I heard Hanna sit up, and Brook ask cautiously "Can I sit on your lap?" I assume Hanna nodded, because I heard rustling of the blankets. "I'm so happy you're not gone anymore, Mommy. I hadn't even met you before yesterday, and I already missed you! Mommy said I'd love you because you're just like me." Brook had said, and I couldn't help a smile from covering my face. "And I do. Love you I mean. And you are just like me!"

Hanna was silent for a moment. "Well, I...I'm happy you love me, Brook. I've never been really good with kids. But you are much cooler than me. And more beautiful. You have a beautiful mommy, so that's why. I have all these ugly bruises and scars. You don't. You're perfect. I'm not." Hanna said, sadness in her voice.

"No! Those bruises won't stay there forever, mommy! I promise, cross my heart. You and mommy are the most beautiful people in the whole world! I like your eyes, too. They look like blue Gatorade. But even bluer. Bluer than the sky." Brook said, and I could feel Hanna's blush radiate through my body. "I'm still tired. Can we lie down, mommy?" Brook asked, yawning. They both lied down, and I guess we all fell back asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, it was almost 11.

And I was cuddling with my 2 favorite people in the world.

Hanna had her arms around Brook, who was on her back and had an arm strewn across each of us. My arms were around Brook's shoulders and my hands were on Hanna's hip and stomach. From a bird's eye view, we probably looked like tangled headphone cords.

We'd done virtually nothing all day, never changing out of our pjs. Mostly, Hanna and I had told stories about our friendship to Brook, her listening intently.

She didn't let go of Hanna's hand all day again, and when I had to take the blond into the bedroom to check her injuries, Brook had made a card on white printer paper. It said I love you Mommy! I hope you get all better soon! Written in pink crayon, next to a drawing of a short stick figure with dark hair, a tall stick figure with dark hair, and a shorter stick figure with yellow hair, all holding each other's stick-hands. It had completely melted my heart, and made Hanna cry.

Not surprisingly, she's been crying a lot.

Now, at night, I said Hanna should take a bath, but as soon as I did, I realized I shouldn't have. She panicked. We've been standing here in the bedroom for what seemed like 3 days but is probably only 15 minutes.

"Y-you're right..." She says, looking like she wants to say something else, but refrains. "I guess I will." She finally says, slowly starting towards the bathroom.

"Han, if this makes you to uncomfortable-" I start to say when she shakes her head, and smiles.

But it's fake. I can tell. After years of real and fake smiles, I can tell the difference. I think she knows that, but I'm not going to push her.

I get a few towels from the linen closet, and we walk into the bathroom. I turn on the heater. She slowly pulls her hair from the ponytail, and it falls in clumps around her face. She faces away from the mirror. She swallows thickly, then with shaking hands, pulls off her 1st sweatshirt. She kept saying she was cold, so she had 2 on. She folds it and places it on the sink, and I can tell she's stalling.

"Hanna, you don't need to do this." I remind her. She shakes her head, and fake smiles again, as if to show me she's okay.

I don't believe her.

But alas, she pulls off her other sweater, and now she's just in a t-shirt. My breath catches.

She has so many bruises, I'd count them, but that would probably take 20 minutes. Round, puckered marks, D-shaped welts, burn scars, scabs. I hadn't seen her arms fully yet, and a part of me wishes I hadn't.

"Oh, Hanna..." I say unconsciously. She blushes, looking at her arms.

"I'm..." She trails off, as she finally sees herself in the mirror. Her eyes widen. They trail down her arms, and over her face. 2 fat tears fall down her beautiful, bruised cheeks. She brings her hand to her black eye, and carefully touches it. She winces. I just stand there like a stupid statute, unable to do anything other than watch. I'm so ugly. She mouths to herself, and a small noise escapes her mouth. I watch as her shoulders slowly begin to heave up and down, and her chest rises and falls more rapidly with each breath.

"I'm ugly." She states again, and I see beads of sweat fall down her forehead.

"Hanna? Baby, are you alright?" I say, a feeling of concern filling my chest. She stumbles backwards.

"I'm..u-ugly. Ugly. Very...very ugly. I was Hanna Marin. Beautiful. Smart. Awesome." She says, her entire body shaking, worse than I've ever seen. "Now I'm ugly. Look what he did to me!" She shouts crazily, tears flying off her face, sobs and heaving breaths escaping her throat. She grabs the wall, sobbing and shaking. My brain clicks on.

I'd read that for abuse victims, it was common to have panic attacks if they saw themselves and what their body looks like, after the abuse had occurred. And the brief paragraph I read on panic attacks could've been written on how Hanna's acting right now. She looks like she's experiencing the worst pain you could imagine. I imagine I look like her when I had Brook. She looks like she can't breathe.

"Hanna...baby, please calm down." I say desperately, not wanting to touch her, but not wanting her to feel alone. She continues to shake.

"I-I'm...u-u-ugly!" She says again, collapsing to the floor, laying in a heap. Finally, I can't help it anymore. I fall beside her and pull her into my lap, putting my hands where I know she doesn't have any marks. I tense, ready for her to push me away, when she just clutches my shirt and sobs. I plant gentle kisses across her blond head.

"It's okay, love. Breathe, Han. You're with me, now. It's okay." I soothe, and slowly, her sobs get quieter until she's just sniffling and hiccuping.

"I-I'm...sorry." She says, her voice breaking and scratchy. I shake my head.

"It's okay, beautiful. I don't care. Are you okay?" I ask, holding her hand. She looks at me.

"Don't call me beautiful, Em. I'm not beautiful." She says sadly, shaking her head. My eyes well, not surprisingly.

"Han...yes you are. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. I don't want you to think anything less of yourself, Hanna. It's okay. Your marks will fade. The one's on your body, and the one's on your heart." I say, and I silently pray that's true. "It might take time, but they will."

After a long silence, she finally speaks. "He wouldn't let me bathe." She blurts, then covers her mouth and shakes her head. My eyes widen.

"Baby, talk to me." I urge gently. She sighs.

"When I lived there. He said I didn't deserve to be pampered. I didn't deserve to bathe for fun. He'd only let me bathe if I'd been a...'good wife' as he always said. I tried to bathe once...he was at work. I didn't know the last time I did, and I felt terrible. So, I did. I felt amazing, but he somehow knew. That's the night he did...this." She says, rolling up her shirt a millimeter, and just enough for me to see a peachy-colored scar, like it was made with a knife. I almost gag. "He said I was worthless. Greedy. Ugly. Horrible. He said it so much...I realized it's true. I am. I don't deserve to be pampered. Just look at me." She says miserably, sounding like she's gonna break any second. I try-unsuccessfully, to stop the tears from spewing out of my eyes, and my overwhelming anger. I drop her hand, in fear I might squeeze it.

After a few beats, I open my eyes and look at her. Tears fall from her gorgeous eyes to the floor. "Han...You deserve more than that. Don't believe a word that idiot said to you, beautiful. You deserve the world and more. You're so strong, Hanna. If I was you, I would be completely broken by now." I say, grabbing her hand again. A bolt of pure electric energy goes from my hand, up my arm, and slaps me right in the heart.

She looks up at me, with her glassy eyes, filled with demons and pain. But beyond that, I see Hanna Marin. The real one, not this prototype.

"That's the thing...Em." She says, putting her head in my lap, lying her head in my hand. "I'm not strong." She says, her tears falling onto my knee. "He already broke me."

Meh. Those are my thoughts about this chapter. Don't worry, we have 1 more chapter like this one, then some drama ;) So yeah, sorry Haleb fans, if I didn't, I wouldn't be here. Anyway, follow, favorite, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Love ya'll! ~Ella :):):):)

P.S, if I wrote a Sparia story about Aria being pregnant, would you guys read it? Let me know!