Melissa and Eric made their way through the airport, looking for Noel. When they spotted him they headed over to him. Noel was waiting for them on a small bench, an open laptop on the table in front of him.
-"Noel, it's good to see you again." Melissa smiled at him while Eric gave him a hug. Noel closed his laptop, picking up Melissa's bags while Eric took his own.
-"Come on. I'm taking you guys to the hospital. Hanna, Alison and the rest of their friends have managed to get Spencer and the others back. They were taken to the hospital for medical examinations, but the important thing is that they are alive and well."
-"Oh God. What a relief! And Hanna? How is she holding up? How are you?" Eric asked, concern filling his voice as they walked out of the airport building and headed to the parking lot.
-"She apparently has amnesia and only remembers some stuff about her life. She is well, has a child apparently. As for me? I'm terrified what A will do now that the bitch lost the girls."
-"Jesus. It will work out. I'm not losing my sister again and A won't get Hanna back either." Melissa's eyes darkened. Eric placed his hand on her back, rubbing it as a way to comfort her.
-"I'm not so sure it will be that easy. Hanna was dragged back into this mess despite being away and safe for five years." Noel's voice sounded concerned and terrified about what A would do to retaliate.
-"Noel? Baby? Can we worry about this later? For now, let's just get out of here and go to the hospital. I want to see Spencer as soon as possible. We can discuss later but for now? Let's just celebrate that they are both safely back home." Eric opened the car door, letting Melissa get inside while Noel headed to the driver's seat.
Mac walked out of his temporary office and looked over to his two girls standing beside Caleb. He couldn't figure out who was more fascinated by the other, Caleb or Abby. Looking over to Caleb, Mac smiled. The boy he had let go back in Allentown years ago made him proud today. He had really managed to do something for himself.
Caleb noticed him staring at them and after kissing Hanna's forehead again he whispered something to her. He then placed Abby on the floor and made his way over to Mac. "Detective Taylor, I think you and I need to do some catching up."
-"I think so too. I have some questions for you." Mac nodded his head and they headed to an empty interrogation room. "Just so you know I've read your file. I am aware what you do for a living now. And I think you did great with your life after we last saw each other.
-"Hanna's the main reason for it. And some of the credit goes to you as well. You gave me a chance when no one else, not even myself, would. I was able to start a new life because of it." Caleb respected Mac a lot. He always knew that deep down there would never be a thing that he would deny the man. He owed Mac too much and would never be able to return the favor.
-"That being said, the two ladies outside are my most cherished people. They are my family so naturally I want to know what you plan to do next." Mac studied Caleb's body, taking in his reaction to his words.
-"I plan to marry Hanna and make sure that she and Abby are always safe and sound. They have been my family for far longer than they were yours, detective, and I don't plan to walk away from them. Ever." Caleb stared at him, a determined look on his face.
-"What am I supposed to do? How am I going to help you Hanna? Am I supposed to just show up here twice a week and tell you what I thought was funny on South Park?" A frustrated Caleb told a tearful Hanna while they were talking in the penitentiary visitation room. "I can't even hold your freaking hand," he continued. "I love you and I'm not just gonna walk away. I'm not going to leave you, that's just never gonna happen." He finished talking as Hanna's tears continued to fall down her face...
-"Good luck with that. My daughter has rejected every male in her sight for years. She once said she wouldn't marry anyone." Mac pushed Caleb's patience a little, trying to test him.
-"With all due respect sir, none of them were me. Hanna and I have a past together. We have a child and there's no way I'm letting either of them go" Caleb gave Mac a cocky grin, despite knowing he had a lot of things to sort out with Hanna before something like that happened.
A sudden knock on the door made them stop talking. Lindsay walked inside the room, looking at Mac. "Hanna sent me in here to make sure you're not killing him with one of your interrogations. Her words, not mine." She smiled at Mac before Caleb turned his head to look at her. Her smile then quickly disappeared when she saw his face.
-"Lindsay, something wrong?" Both men watched her turn on her heels and walk away, closing the door behind her. She passed by a perplexed Hanna, ignoring everyone else until she was out of the building.
Melissa almost jumped out of the car as Noel parked in the hospital parking lot. She quickly headed towards the main lobby, looking anyone familiar. Eric and Noel followed her silently. Eric eventually managed to catch up with his panting wife and grabbing her hand he interlinked their hands together.
-"Sweetheart you need to calm down. This is not good for either you or our baby." Melissa stared at him while Noel cleared his throat impatiently. They both turned their heads when the elevator doors opened and Toby stepped out, followed by Veronica.
-"Mom! Where is she? Where is Spencer? Is she okay?" Melissa jumped into her mother's hug and held her tight. Veronica nodded her head, a silent tear falling down her face as she gestured for Melisa to talk to Toby.
-"They all are fine, well as fine as they can be under the circumstances. We brought the girls here for the night to do some tests. They've been through hell and back and the doctors have recommended therapy for them. They all are dealing with PTSD."
-"They said we can go and see them now. One member of the family at a time. Your dad is staying with Spencer while Toby and I are going to get her some food. Why don't you go see her?" Veronica turned around and hugged Eric. "Make sure she doesn't climb up the walls with everything that's going on."
Eric nodded his head and followed Melissa inside the elevator. "I'll head back home, Eric. You guys can take the car. I'll just grab a taxi." Noel nodded his head towards Veronica and Toby and then turning on his heels he left the building. He didn't feel he had the right to be there for the happy reunions. Melissa's eyes followed him until the elevator doors closed.
-"I really hope that Noel will find a way to forgive himself and move on. Both of us were given second chances and I know we'll fight to protect our loved ones." It had taken Melissa and Eric's combined efforts for years to finally learn what was going on with Noel.
-"I know." Eric kissed the top of Melissa's head as the elevator doors slid open and she stepped outside it, heading towards the room where her mother had mentioned Spencer was in. Melissa knocked on the door and waited for her dad to answer. When the door opened to reveal a disheveled Spencer, Melissa's eyes filled with tears.
-"Lissa!" Spencer hugged her and cried in her arms. It was the first real hug the two sisters had shared in years. The last time Spencer had allowed herself to hug Melissa had been the night when Mona had hit Hanna with a car. She had honestly been terrified out of her mind that she would lose Hanna that night.
-"You're alright, Spencer. You're home. You're safe. A won't get his hands on you again." Melissa hugged Spencer as Peter Hastings watched them. Spencer hadn't said a word ever since she was brought to the hospital. She had been silent and neither he nor Veronica managed to make her to say anything.
He stepped out of the way as Melissa led Spencer back to her hospital bed. He watched his daughters comforted each other before remembering the doctor's orders that only one family member could visit Spencer at a time. He took another glance at his daughters, guilt filling him, before leaving the room and going out into the hallway. He had failed to protect them both. He had failed them just as he had failed being there for Jason while he was growing up. It took him losing Spencer to understand that she was the one connecting his family together.
While he and Veronica had eventually split up after Spencer's kidnapping, Jason and Melissa had quickly bonded over it. They were both equally determined to find their missing sibling and no force of nature managed to stand in their way as they did everything to find her.
The only reason why Jason wasn't there at the moment was because he had been worried for Kenneth's safety as the girls were rescued. A had proven to all of them that he was a force to be reckoned with and that no one was safe from him.
-"Don't go there. You have your daughter back. Don't blame yourself for something a sociopath did. Neither you nor Veronica are to blame for this. This is on A. This is that monster's fault, not yours. Moping around won't do you any good. And it won't help Spencer either. You need to be strong for her sake."
-"You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Peter snapped at Eric, but Eric didn't flinch. He sized the man up from head to toe, not backing down.
-"I do know shit. I'm the one that has been putting both your children back together over the past few years. I'm the one that spends every night going out of his mind thinking about his wife and child's safety. I'm the one that constantly checks up on Jason to make sure he's still keeping it together. So I do know how it feels to have half your family tormented by the same individual. And that's why I'm telling you that you need to keep it together."
-"He's right, Peter. But I'm quite sure that Spencer will be alright. She's the strong one in this family." Jason's voice made them turn their heads. He had showed up unannounced. "How's Melissa holding up? You treating my baby sister alright?"
-"Driving me up the walls with worry, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Eric smiled, watching his wife through the window. Spencer had fallen asleep with her head on Melissa's leg while Melissa caressed her hair, holding one of Spencer's hands in hers.
Lindsay breathed in the cool night air. The past weekend was definitely getting to her. She had asked Mac not to involve her in the investigation, claiming there was a potential conflict of interest going on. Though surprised, Mac had agreed to her request and so she was there officially on vacation and to babysit Abby when Hanna would let her out of her sights.
-"Lindsay? What happened in there? Mac said you fled like a bat out of hell. And given you basically ran past me I think he's right. Did Rivers do anything to you?" Danny walked out of the police station and placed his jacket on Lindsay's shoulders. "Mac mentioned you requested to be on leave and not be involved in the investigation. Why's that?"
-"One of the people involved in this case is a very close and important friend to me. I won't let anyone use that against me or him. And that's what would happen if I am a part of this investigation. As for Caleb? He's just a small blast from the past. My grandmother from my mother's side lives in a small town a couple of miles away from here. Caleb's family originates from there as well. It just surprised me to see him, that's all."
-"Your grandmother lives in the area? What's her name?" Danny followed Lindsay as they walked down the stairs. He had not missed the warmth that had been in her voice when she had talked about her friend.
-"Carla Grunwald as in the same person who pulled out Alison DiLaurentis from the ground the night she went missing." Lindsay turned around to look at Danny, her eyes softening a little seeing the disbelief on his face. "The friend I mentioned is Jason DiLaurentis."
-"Is he the one that helped you recover after what happened in Montana?" Danny pieced the puzzle pieces together fast. Lindsay nodded her head in agreement.
-"After my friends died because of the shooting Jason was the one that pulled me back together. He had just arrived in town after his sister had gone missing. We were both traumatized by similar experiences so we leaned on each other for support. But ultimately I wouldn't have moved on with my life if he hadn't been there to pull me back together."
-"Do you love him?" Danny's question surprised Lindsay a little. She shook her head, carefully giving him an answer.
-"A part of me does. He was there for me during that very rough time in my life. And I'm the one that convinced him, more like forced him, to go into drug rehab. The thought crossed our minds at some point, but we're not dating. I do care about him but I'm dating you Danny." Danny nodded his head, kissing the top of her head as they walked on the sidewalk.
I hope you guys liked this chapter. I loved reading your reactions from your last one. Sometimes I wish I could make you guys see my beta's reaction to my twisted ideas. Every time I manage to surprise her I get happy. And I can't wait for you guys to see what happens in the next chapter. An old friend makes a sudden return and someone kisses. Also thoughts on what's going on with Noel? Or The Mac and Caleb conversation? Or the Lindsay Grundwald connection? Let me know what you guys think.
Nico.