Chapter 24:

Little Wonders

"Jingle bells, jingle bells…" Aria crooned, rocking her little hips back and forth as she balanced atop a high ladder barefoot, trying to hang a large purple globe on a branch of the Christmas tree.

"Jingle all the way…" Emily finished, fishing a long string of lights out of one of the plastic blue bins that littered the floor of Toby's apartment.

Standing on one of the kitchen chairs, Spencer asked, "Hey, hand me that box, would you, Em?" Spencer waved her hand towards Emily, interrupting the chorus of singing for a moment. "Oh, never mind, I'll get it." She stooped down from her chair, grasping onto the back of it to keep her balance as she reached towards another box of ornaments.

"Hey, careful, Spence!" At once, Hanna was at her side, her arms tight around her waist.

"Hanna, I'm fine." Spencer insisted for what felt like the trillionth time that day. Every time Spencer tried to lift up something heavier than a pencil or stooped lower than her knees, Hanna was behind her, preventing her from tumbling to "untimely death" or something.

"You could get lightheaded at any moment!" Hanna protested as Spencer pried her arms back from around her.

"It's been five days, Han! I'm alright!"

Emily snickered and shook her head. "Give up, Spence. Han's going to be playing nurse until you're twenty-five."

"Plus, you don't even have your stitches out yet!" Hanna exclaimed crossing her arms.

"Yeah, but they come out Thursday. Just in time for Christmas." Spencer replied as she jumped down from the chair and fished a bundle of tinsel out of the nearest bin. "So deck the freaking halls and get going on the decorating!"

"It's so romantic of you to decorate Toby's place for him." Aria commented, trying to stretch her itty-bitty frame up to one of the top braches of the tree.

"Well, with him working so much to get a holiday bonus, I thought it would be a good idea. Unless we want to be hanging gym socks by the fire place like last year…" Spencer answered.

Emily laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty pathetic…"

"Where is Toby anyway?" Hanna asked. She plopped down on Toby's couch and took a sip of the large mug of apple cider she had poured herself. "I thought he had the day off."

"He does." Spencer helped Emily weave the string of lights in and out of the pine branches. "But I sent him out to buy stocking stuffers for Taylor, Melissa, and Wren."

"Wow, I'm shocked that he let you out of his sight." Aria told her. "He's been stuck to you like glue since you get home a few days ago."

"Well, can you blame him? Emily asked. "I mean, his girlfriend of four years was nearly killed in a mugging by a bunch of gross drunk guys in an filthy alleyway."

"Gee, it's so beautiful the way you put it, Em…" Spencer replied sarcastically, laughing a little. But she could see Hanna flinch from her spot on the couch. In response, Spencer left the tree and plopped down on the sofa next to her.

"Well, he shouldn't worry about her. She's the Indestructible Spence!" Aria continued. Her raven's black hair was raked back into a loose bun, held with a pair of chopsticks, and she blew an escaped lock out of her eyes.

"Well, contrary to that last statement, she has a head full of stitches." Emily responded.

"Okay, can we stop talking about the accident?" Hanna asked, exasperated. "It's giving me a headache."

Spencer smiled wryly and put an arm around Hanna, squeezing her. "Alright. Let's talk about something else."

"Like the fact that you are proposing to Toby in eleven days and you have since been robbed of your engagement gift?" Aria asked bluntly, her voice absent.

Spencer clenched her eyes shut and sighed. "Yeah. Don't remind me, Aria. I'm still trying to figure that out."

"So there's no chance of going out to get a new one?" Hanna asked.

Spencer shook her head. "That watch cleaned me out. I'm out of cash for the month. My parents are cutting me another check until Christmas. And if I ask…they'll know something's up."

"Well, don't you think they'll find out sooner or later?" Emily arched her eyebrow, taking a seat on the stool she was previously standing on.

"Yeah, like the ring that'll be on your finger?" Aria joined in.

"I'm kind of waiting to tell them until it's already happened. I don't want a whole lot of people to know."

"Well, Aria already took care of that…" Hanna mumbled under her breath, and the black haired pixie shot her a narrow-eyed look.

"I'll…figure something out." Spencer shrugged. "If I have to just propose to him without a gift, well, then so be it."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Hanna nodded. "I mean, this is Toby we're talking about. What, like he's going to look at Spencer when she asks and say 'Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, where's the gift involved in this?'"

Aria and Emily laughed and Spencer grinned. "Alright, then it's settled. I'll just have to…go for a corny proposal line to seal the deal."

"Oh, you could – !" Hanna started.

"No." Spencer cut her off, her voice flat.

"But – !"

"No, Hanna."

"Will you at least try the poem?"

"No! I don't want to sound like something out of the Wiggles!"

"You won't!"

"End. Of. Discussion, Hanna."

Hanna furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms, sinking back into the couch with a pout. Suddenly, her cell phone buzzed and she fished it out of her pocket. Spencer watched as Hanna looked at the screen, licked her lips and then, with a low breath, let it drop into her lap. She cleared her throat and put a hand behind her neck, avoiding the eyes of the other three girls.

Immediately, Spencer exchanged glances with Emily and Aria, who both had their eyebrows knit in confusion.

"Uhm, who was that?" Emily inquired, getting to her feet and sauntering towards Hanna.

"Hmm? Uh, no one." Hanna put a fake smile that Spencer knew too well on her face and made a grab for her phone in an attempt to shove it back into her pocket before Emily could grab it.

But Spencer was too quick. She snatched the phone out of Hanna's grasp and quickly read the text on the screen.

She arched an eyebrow. "Why does Will Lovat want to know what to wear to the Christmas party Saturday?" Hanna's cheeks burned red.

"Did you invite him?" Aria asked, her voice hushed as if it were some big secret, "As your date?"

"What happened to not being over Caleb?" Emily asked. "Are you into Will now?"

"Are you – "

"Guys, just shut up and hear me out!" Hanna flailed her arms about. "Yes, I invited Will to the party Saturday; so freaking what? I mean, he's a nice guy, and he's a good friend. Plus, he's the one that saved Spencer!"

"Okay, no need to freak out," Aria said, getting down from her ladder. "We're just…wondering if there's another guy in your life."

"Well, there isn't." Hanna said flatly. "Will's a friend of mine. And he's been there for me while I've been…dealing with stuff."

Spencer didn't question. She just nodded. She knew how that felt. To want to be with someone that was there for you. It's partly what drew her to Toby in the first place. She sighed and handed Hanna back her phone. "Then we'll be happy to see him there."

"Alright, my beautiful, stitched up girl, what'll it be?" Toby set a pile of menus on the counter across from Spencer.

"Hmmm…Linda's." Spencer replied. "I'm in the mood for Italian."

"Linda's it is." Toby nodded, pawing through the menus and locating the one for the Italian joint down the street.

"Toby?" Spencer asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Ya, Spence?" Toby answered absently, dialing the number of the restaurant on his cell phone.

"Will you go and see Jenna with me tomorrow?" She asked.

Toby stopped dialing and looked up at her. He set the phone carefully back down on the counter, along with the menus.

"Why do you want to see her?" He asked. His voice wasn't accusatory or angry; just curious.

Spencer shrugged. "I want to know why there were four drunken men in an alleyway willing to do to her what they did to me."

Toby clenched his eyes shut and shuttered at the memory – he still wasn't quite immune to the idea – and sighed. "Alright." He decided. "I'll go with you tomorrow."

"Thanks." Spencer responded with a smile. A coy grin soon replaced her thankful expression though, and she put on a mask of faux concern. "You know, actually Linda's doesn't sound too good to me anymore."

"Hm? Alright, then what does?"

"You."

Toby's eyes flickered up to hers and she raised an eyebrow, biting her lip and meeting his glance evenly.

"Spence, you're still healing…"

"Oh, hardly." Spencer snorted. "So I have a few stitches. Big whoop."

"Yeah, actually it is a 'big whoop.'" Toby replied. "You lost a whole lot of blood and were practically comatose for two days, Spence. The doctors said that you need time to heal."

"Wasn't it you that once said that love was the best medicine?"

"Yes. But sex makes for a rather unhinging and perhaps even lethal scene."

"Oh, I love it when you talk dirty, Toby…"

"Not funny, Spence."

"Lighten up!" Spencer smiled, laughing. "I'm joking! And seriously, it isn't all that fun being the girlfriend that has to beg her boyfriend to sleep with her."

"You think it's all that great being the boyfriend that has to refuse making love to their beautiful girlfriend when she's practically handing it to him on a silver platter?" Toby arched an eyebrow. "Because it's not. But I'd rather not have to explain to the doctors why you suddenly passed out from overexerting activity."

"Fine." Spencer pouted. "But I still hate you."

Toby chuckled. "That's good; hate is a powerful emotion. It means that you're regaining all of those brain cells you lost."

"Did you just call me dumb, Toby Cavanaugh?"

"Merely stating a physical fact, Spencer Hastings."

"Alright, now come over here and kiss me before I think of something really mean to say…" She started, but Toby was already way ahead of her. He leaned across the counter and met her lips with his, gently weaving his hands into her hair. He kissed her deeply for long moments and she sighed, her head becoming dizzy from the fragrance of his breath. When he finally pulled back, he rubbed his nose back and forth against hers and she smiled.

"Okay, maybe you're right about the sex thing…" Spence giggled. "I'm a little light-headed just from this…"

"Are you alright?" Toby asked, instantly concerned.

"Yes, calm down!" Spencer laughed, exasperated. "I'm fine. I'm just kidding."

Toby's smiled returned to his face, and his eyes wandered out to the kitchen window. "Hey, look." He nodded towards it, "it's snowing."

Spencer gasped, "The first snow!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Come on!" She said, jumping down from her chair and clambering across the floor in her fuzzy socks, making her way for the door.

"Spence!" Toby called after her, a laugh in his voice, "Don't forget your shoes!"

Spencer skidded to a shaky stop, grabbing for her snow boots lying beside the closet and stuffing her feet into them, not even bothering to tie the strings.

"Come on!" She shouted back at him, yanking the door open and hurrying out into the night, dressed in only Toby's oversize t-shirt and her leggings.

Toby was at her heels, leaving the apartment and following her down the stairs, into the empty street outside the apartment building. When she reached the middle of the road, ankle deep in the falling snow, she looked up to the sky and smiled. Toby stepped behind her, wrapping her arms around her middle and chuckling low in her ear.

"The first snow of winter in Rosewood." Spencer smiled, shaking her head in awe. "It's always so beautiful. So pure…"

Toby kissed her temple. "I know. It is nice, isn't it?"

"I love that I get to see all of the first snows with you now." Spencer smiled and he squeezed her softly, burying his smile into her hair.

"And I love you." He murmured softly. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're alright. The thought of living any other way then with you is too crazy to even think about…"

Spencer sighed, "I know. I can't imagine it either."

"Let's hope we never have to."

"We won't." She promised.

Toby kissed the top of her head. "Merry Christmas, Spencer."

"Merry Christmas, Toby."

"No you didn't." Will laughed, an amused smile upon his face.

"I did." Hanna confirmed, nodding her head. "True story."

"Wow. The Hanna Marin shoplifted from sixteen stores in high school. I always thought you were the good girl."

"Well, there's a lot more to The Hanna Marin than meets the eye…" Hanna replied, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, there is." Will replied. Her gaze met his and his soft smile made her heart get a little fluttery.

She cleared her throat, breaking the eye contact. "So, it really surprises you that I did some bad stuff in high school?"

"Totally surprises me. Of course, I was never exactly in the loop. I wouldn't have known if a girl in our grade was even pregnant until the week after the baby was born."

Hanna laughed and stuffed her hands deeper in her jeans pockets. Suddenly, she felt a trickle of white wetness drop on her head and she looked up.

The first snow.

Hanna had met up with Will when he had texted her to have dinner at the Applerose Grille after she left Toby's apartment. She had agreed instantly, hoping for a chance to talk to Will about Spencer's accident. Maybe it was the detective nature that Mona had so intently engraved in her as a teen, but she was desperate to figure out the whole story.

But she had gone through a whole dinner with Will, including dessert, and was now letting him walk her home, and yet she had not felt the need to bring up the accident once.

It was just that Will was so interesting to talk about. He was so worldly; passionate.

Kind.

He listened to her when she talked, and actually looked like he gave a shit about what she was saying. It was nice to have someone like that, after her bad falling out with Caleb.

Caleb.

What would he make of this?

If he saw them, somehow, walking down the street together, laughing over old high school stories, would he stop and watch? Would he be horridly jealous and angry? Hurt? Or was he already over her enough to just turn his head and walk the other way?

Did he even care about her anymore?

She didn't know.

She clenched her eyes shut for a moment, sighing as she chased the thoughts of him away and turned her attention back to Will. "So," She asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Have you been into Jenna's room at Radley lately?"

"Not recently. She's requested that the volunteers only visit when it's absolutely necessary."

"Oh." Hanna nodded. Wonder why. She thought. What is she planning? Or hiding from…?

"Are you cold?" Will inquired, noticing the way she ran her hands up her arms in an effort to warm herself.

"Oh, a little." Hanna shrugged.

"Here." Will shrugged off his black overcoat and promptly draped it over her shoulders. "Take this."

Hanna looked over at him, her lips parted slightly. She looked back down to her shoes, her cheeks burning red. "You…you don't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Be nice like that."

"Why wouldn't I be? I want to."

"Because I'm not exactly the…ideal girl to be around." Hanna replied, her eyes on the sidewalk in front of her.

"How do you figure?" Will asked her.

"Well, for one, I'm pretty much a walking emotional trainwreck."

"You're talking to the guy that spend years trying to run away from Rosewood, before coming back and working with a bunch of deranged psychopaths." Will replied bluntly, which made Hanna laugh.

"But I'm serious." She replied, her voice solemn again, "I've been…kind of messed up since my falling out with…my ex." Hanna couldn't bring herself to say 'Caleb.'

"How so?"

"Will, do you even know me at all?" Hanna asked. "Have you even…been around these past few days? Have you been walking around with your eyes closed? I'm messed up, ok?! It's making me do stupid things."

"Hey, I don't – " Will tried sympathetically, but Hanna cut him off.

"No, do you know how Spencer wound up in that alleyway, Will?" Hanna stopped walking and turned to fully face him. She could hear her voice rising but didn't try to lower it.

Will just looked at her, his eyes peering deep into hers in that I-can-see-right-into-you way he had.

"I was drunk. I drank too much after seeing Caleb, and Spencer had to drive me home. When she came back, the place was locked and she went around the back to try and get her keys, but the gang cornered her, and you found her almost bleeding to death on the ground. She could have died trying to help me because I wasn't careful." She said harshly.

"Hanna…"

"I'm hurting the people around me, Will. I'm broken. And I don't want to take you down with me. You're too good to go down a road like that again."

Will's eyes leveled with hers and he shook his head. "I don't see you like that, Hanna."

"Oh?" Hanna asked scornfully. "How do you see me, then?"

"You're strong, Hanna. Stronger than you know. And you're beautiful – inside and out. And I know that you're capable of doing great things." Will said, stepping closer.

Hanna's breath was shallow as she met Will's gaze. "I don't want to hurt anymore, Will." She whispered, tears rising in her eyes.

"I know." Will nodded. He cautiously rested his forehead against hers. "I remember the feeling well. It'll get better, Hanna. I promise you."

Hanna nodded and buried her head in his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her and he pet her hair, just like he had done in the lobby of the hospital.

He held her gently while she cried once more, letting everything out, in the middle of the empty road, during the first snow in Rosewood, Pennsylvania.

And just like that, Hanna began to feel whole again.

ta-da! so do you guys like will? or are you still team haleb ;)

im so sorry for not updating sooner. like i explained in my author's not things have been...kind of hard lately. but i still have hope and faith for my OTP. spoby is NOT over. i know it. and thanks to Bryan Holdman's reassuring tweets, i feel much better.

thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, guys! if i get up to 210, i'll update by thurs (i promise this time!)

live. love. spoby.

AJ