A/N: New chaaapteeerrrr! I won't be able to update this week as I'll be super busy BUT I'll update on Saturday! :) Also, I had a guest asking me if I had Twitter, and I haven't heard back from them, or had any messages on my Tumblr, my Tumblr is crappy and I made it to go with this account but never really used it, and it's a secondary one so maybe messages aren't possible? SO...I'm not entirely sure if I want my actual Twitter account linked with this...no-one really knows I write fanfic and I'm a blogger so I wouldn't really be able to post a lot about my writing! So would anyone be interested in me making a Twitter for this account? I could tweet updates and stuff so it'd probably be useful!
"Why the hell is your door open Han? Anyone could just walk on in here" Mona hurried in through the door, equipment practically spilling out of her arms. Hanna's hand dropped from his face and Caleb suppressed a groan.
"Oh look…..they just did" Caleb snarked, feeling the sharp dig of Hanna's elbow in his ribs. Mona came to a dead stop as she spotted them.
"What happened?" Mona asked. She took in their position, the tear streaked faces and she levelled Caleb with a stare, "What the hell did you do!?" Mona said pretty menacingly for someone of her height. Caleb took a breath.
"Look, Mona, I already feel crappy enough okay so whatever you're gonna say just…don't." Caleb sighed, Mona tapped her foot. Waiting. "I was running late, I got….distracted by something. I wasn't here when you dropped Han back I don't know…I don't know how long she was here" Caleb swallowed. He felt Hanna put one of her hands over his and squeeze.
"It's okay Caleb" she whispered.
"No. It's not" he whispered back, forcefully. Hanna's hand made it's way back up to his cheek.
"I forgive you….I always forgive you" She whispered.
"Why?" Caleb couldn't keep the confusion out of his voice. Right then..he really didn't get why Hanna always forgave him, looking back on some of the stuff he'd pulled…
Hanna sighed.
"Because I love you" Caleb started to smile, "Even when I don't want to. Even when I want to hate you because it'd be easier to keep you away"
"You know you could never keep me away again right?" Caleb smiled down at Hanna, "You're kinda stuck with me"
"Hello. Still here" Mona said from the front of the apartment.
"You don't have to be" Caleb shot back. "But seeing as you're here…I need to run back to my car and grab some of the bags I left in there, I got way too much food" Caleb started to get up but Hanna gripped on to his shirt. "Han?" he looked down at her.
"Don't go" she whispered
"Han…"
"I know…I know you just need to go to the car and back…..that you'll be back but….please don't go right now" Hanna pleaded. Caleb looked from her, but before he could respond Mona cut in.
"It's okay. I'll go grab them, I saw your car as I came in" Caleb looked up at Mona.
"Thank you" He said sincerely. Mona just nodded, placed her stuff on the table and headed out of the apartment lacking her usual….Mona-ness. Caleb's brow furrowed. What's up with that? He wondered, before Hanna drew his attention back to her.
"I should tell you….earlier, Mona couldn't ping the phone but I…I realised I'd lost my bracelet and we had to go to….to his car to look for it…"
"Tell me you found that bracelet, because I'm really not in the mood to play grave robber right now" Caleb tried to joke. Hanna nodded.
"Yeah, it was down between the two back seats. But as we where walking away…we heard a phone ring and we…"
"You found the burner phone" Caleb finished. Hanna nodded again.
"Mona answered and it…it was Jenna" Caleb felt confusion wash over him.
"How the hell…." How the hell does she get involved in everything!?
"I know. But that's not all…she called him Archer. His real name…it was Archer" Hanna whispered. Who the hell is Archer? How does he know Jenna?! Caleb didn't voice the questions he had swirling in his head. He figured Hanna had mulled over them plenty.
"Okay, so Mona's here to crack the phone right? It's what I'd do" Hanna nodded, but yawned before she could say anything. Caleb figured she must be exhausted after last night…this morning…the freak out he'd caused.
"I think it's time for you to go to bed" Caleb said.
"I'm not a kid Caleb. And I'm not tired" Hanna folder her arms, but the effect was ruined by the fact she was still settled in his lap. That and the yawn that broke free not long after. Caleb chuckled.
"C'mon Han. It's been an exhausting day…night…whatever"
"No. We have his burner phone, we need to….to….Mona it"
"Mona it?"
"You know…Mona it…whatever she does with phones to make them tell all their secrets" Caleb laughed. Their bickering was interrupted by Mona's return. She dumped the final bags on the floor and closed the apartment door behind her.
"What's so funny?"
"Hanna wants you to 'Mona' the phone" Caleb chuckled. Mona frowned in confusion.
"Just…we need Mona to…to…"
"Mona the phone" Caleb snickered. Hanna slapped his arm again.
"Shut up! Mona knows what I mean" Mona nodded uncertainly.
"Sure Han…." Hanna let out another yawn. Caleb opened his mouth to speak but Hanna cut him off.
"Don't say it Caleb" Caleb looked at her innocently, then burst in to laughter when she yawned in his face.
"Han…we can do this tomorrow. It's been an exhausting twenty four hours" Mona chimed in from her new place on the couch.
"No. We need to do this now. Jenna..she could know…she could…could…" another yawn.
"Han. It'll be fine for a few hours while we sleep. Besides…I should probably come up with a plan of attack anyway" Mona said reassuringly. Hanna didn't look convinced.
"But you came all the way back here….." Hanna trailed off in to a yawn. Caleb jumped in.
"Mona can stay here. You can grab some sleep and then when you wake up….you can help Mona crack the phone" Hanna looked at him skeptically.
"I don't think Mona needs my help"
"No, I don't. But you could help keep me hydrated" Mona said encouragingly. Hanna glared between the two of them.
"Fine. But you'd better be ready in the morning" Hanna threatened. Caleb smothered his laugh and saw Mona attempt to the same thing. Hanna was about as threatening as a pair of bunny slippers in that moment. Caleb got to his feet and helped Hanna up.
"I'll just put everything away and then I'll be right in" Caleb told Hanna, gesturing to all the bags. Hanna looked around, an anxious expression crossing her face.
"Okay" She tried for brave but her voice wavered a bit. Caleb looked at her. She leaned in to him. "I just….after this..this whole thing I…I…I….I need…" Caleb decided to take pity.
"Why Hanna Marin, are you trying to say you need me?!" Caleb let out a fake gasp of shock. Hanna rolled her eyes, then nodded briefly.
"I just…the dark and….when I'm alone…and tonight with the…the flashbacks and-"
"Tell you what Han. I'll deal with the groceries, if you help Caleb put his stuff away. His ratty bags are…offending me" Mona affected a sneer. Caleb would have snapped back but he was too grateful to her for helping him out. He hadn't been sure what to say to Hanna. For the first time it actually seemed like she wanted him glued to her side. And it was his fault because he'd brought the barn back to the surface of her memories.
"Let me make up the couch first" Caleb directed at Mona who gave him a nod.
"I'll help!" Hanna exclaimed.
"Nope. You're gonna sit and eat the Tai takeout I got you. Your favourite so no excuses" Caleb said, steering her to a chair at the table and placing the bag in front of her. He unpacked the various cartons and placed them in front of Hanna, Mona tossing a fork on to the table. Hanna surveyed the cartons and rubbed her stomach as if she was queasy. Caleb leaned in to whisper to her. "Please Hanna? You need to keep up your strength and it worries me when you don't eat" Hanna nodded. "It'd be a shame to waste it" She smiled at Caleb and he smiled back, kissing her on the crown of her head. As he went to get the spare sheets he pointed at Mona who had been eyeing up the food.
"Don't eat any of her takeout!"
"Oh I won't….I'll eat yours" she smiled sweetly. Caleb rolled his eyes and waved his hand in a 'whatever' gesture. When he came back with the sheets and pillows, plus a pair of Hanna's sweats and an old tshirt of hers, Hanna had actually eaten a fair amount of the food, and Mona, true to her word had eaten some of his. Not that he cared, he wasn't even remotely hungry after what he'd put Hanna through this evening. He dumped his bundle on the couch.
"I'll do that! Here….I saved you some of mine" Hanna said, flushing. It was adorable. Caleb took the plate and sat down in Hanna's vacated seat. Hanna moved off to the couch to make it up for Mona, keeping Caleb in her line of sight.
"So..go on then" Caleb prompted her, picking at the food. Mona raised an eyebrow. "Oh c'mon Mona, we both know you've got a few choice words to say to me after this evening, believe me, it's nothing I haven't thought about myself, but go ahead."
"Actually…I don't" Mona said quietly. Caleb looked up at her in surprise. "This isn't actually your fault. It's mine" Caleb's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
"How do you figure? I was the one that wasn't where he promised he'd be"
"And I was the one who didn't check if you where back yet. I just assumed. No. I didn't assume." Mona shook her head. "I got so caught up in finding the burner phone, having a clue, having something to go on….information that we need right there in my hand….I got carried away and I didn't think. I didn't think at all, I just dumped her on the sidewalk and I should have walked her up and made sure you where back but I was too focused on this stupid phone" Mona said with frustration. Caleb sighed.
"You know what? I think we've beaten ourselves up enough for the both of us, so rather than arguing about who's more at fault….why don't we both take the blame and call it quits?" Caleb said, shoving some food in his mouth. Mona reluctantly nodded, Caleb returning it.
"What are you talking about?" Hanna asked as she approached them, task finished.
"Nothing" They both said, before promptly shoving food in their mouths. Hanna looked at them suspiciously. "Okay well…the couch is ready and Caleb found you something to sleep in" Mona looked at Caleb with a touch of surprise.
"Thank you" she said sincerely. Caleb actually smiled at her. "You're welcome"
"You guys go, I'll put this away and then turn in" Mona smiled at Hanna. Hanna impulsively grabbed the smaller girl in a hug. Caleb could see Mona return it tightly. He grabbed up the bags with all of his stuff in and headed for the bedroom, Hanna trailing behind and Mona starting to pack stuff away.
It didn't take long to put Caleb's stuff away. They moved some of Hanna's clothes, so Caleb could have a couple of drawers to himself. He didn't like to hang up anything in the wardrobe….not after earlier. It would be too much like New York. So he'd squeezed everything in to a couple of drawers and left some in one of his holdalls. Once Hanna had said Goodnight to Mona, who'd finished up her task in record time and was settling in for the night, and gotten ready for bed, Caleb took his toiletries in to Hanna's bathroom, placing the wash bag on the windowsill. He got ready for bed in record time and came out to find Hanna waiting for him. Caleb found himself inexplicably nervous as he entered the room and made his way to the bed. He paused.
"Do you want the light on Han?" Hanna shook her head.
"No….no I need to…no." she took a breath. "I'll be fine as long as you're here" she said quietly. Caleb smiled and flicked off the lights before returning to the bed, pulling the covers back and settling himself in.
"Caleb?" Hanna whispered, feeling about for him with her hand. He caught it and pulled her towards him.
"I'm right here Han. I'm not going anywhere" he whispered, as she snuggled in to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and waited until Hanna was asleep before allowing himself to drift off after her.
