Hello there c: So, I'm stepping away from my usual future/present * past layout because this chapter would've turned out far too long (as if my chapters didn't always turn out far to long for this fic somehow). The next chapter is going to pick up where the past sequence of Chapter 2 stopped & I was hoping I would be able to upload it before I go to Prague for 5 days on Monday but that obviously won't be possible now. I'm sorreeeh. Also, I didn't have a chance to have someone read this beforehand, therefore I'd like to apologize for any mistakes I might have overlooked. I kind of rushed this in the end because I really wanted to upload something before I leave. So yeah, this is basically a filler. Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it c: Enjoy (the next chapter should be better, though)

"You still owe me a story, Marin. And it ought to be a good one." Jessica exclaimed with her usual nosy look on her face, right after Hanna had sat down at her desk. Hanna laughed, shaking her head slightly. Of course Jess hadn't forgotten about yesterday's weird happenings overnight. She hadn't expected her to, either.

"What makes you even think that I'll share it with you?" Hanna replied sarcastically.

If there was one person in NYC she'd share it with, it had to be the brunette sitting opposite her. On her first day at work, Jessica had made a snotty remark about Deidra Johnson, who had not bothered to hold the elevator for Hanna and didn't even suppress a witchy snicker when she arrived five minutes late, panting, and thereby won the key to the blonde's heart. They spent their lunch break together and soon afterwards, they started meeting up outside of work, going on shopping sprees and having high school-like sleepover girl nights, mostly when Wren had to work nights and Hanna didn't want to sleep alone. In all honesty, she had never expected herself to become such close friends with somebody ever again since she had left Rosewood behind - and with it the three girls. Well, she hadn't really left them behind, they were still close friends. But none of them could just let her crash at her apartment at 3 am when she couldn't manage to stay on her own.

Jess' piercing blue eyes lit up when she noticed that Hanna had swept all of her shiny blonde hair to one side, retro-style. "Because that's your hickey-hairstyle! The story must be good then. Spill. Now. Or I'll bother your McDreamy with it at lunch."

Hanna rolled her eyes. Their girl nights usually included re-watching the early seasons of Grey's Anatomy which had somehow caused Jessica to believe that the ultimate goal in every girl's life should be dating a doctor. Since had Hanna had reached that goal long ago, the brunette wouldn't stop comparing Wren to Patrick Dempsey's role on the show whereas she herself was still desperately looking for her own McDreamy. Whatsoever, the numerous dates with doctors Wren had agreed to set her up with had never gone too well so far.

"He's not my McDreamy, Jess. I thought we were passed this by now. The whole Meredith-Derek-relationship isn't exactly what we're going for."

"Right, I'm sorry. McSteamy is probably a lot more fitting anyway." Jessica teased and lifted Hanna's hair up, revealing an enormous love bite the blonde had indeed tried to hide under her hair-do. "Impressive."

Annoyed, the girl put her hair back into place. "Alright. You'll get your story. But please, help me out a bit. Why am I friends with you again?"

"Shut up. You know you love me." The girls were just about to take a little "bathroom-break" so that Hanna could spill the juicy details without any unwanted eavesdroppers – like Deidra – when her iPhone's screen lit up, giving notice of an incoming call.

Hanna's heart jumped in loops of happiness when she saw who was calling her in the middle of work.

"Oh my god, Jess, hold on, I have to answer this." She pressed the green "Accept" button before she had even finished the sentence. "Hiiiiii, Aria!"

"Hanna, hey! Is this a bad time?" A familiar voice asked on the other line. It had been a while since she had had a chance to talk to Aria, therefore Hanna could barely retain her excitement.

"No, not at all. I mean, I'm at work right now but we can talk, that's not a problem. How have you been? How's Hollis?"

"Oh, I've been doing fine. Everything's been going well. I'm about to get my degree in literature but I'm still not sure whether I should continue and become a teacher." The petite girl let out a depressed sigh. "But what about you? How's New York? And the fashion industry? Anyone died of starvation lately? Oh, and how is Wren doing?"

"Okay, we really need to call each other more often, so that we don't have to work our way through a whole list of questions at once. I'm doing great. New York is still amazing, like I've told you before. I'm also still convinced that you would absolutely love it here. Lately, no model has died of starvation on my watch which we can consider quite a success, I suppose. And, last but not least, Wren is doing fine. I guess. It's just that he's been very busy with work these days. You see, they've assigned him to look after all these first year interns and apparently that's the most stressful work he's ever done, although I can hardly believe that that's supposed to be more stressful than surgery on a beating heart."

Aria giggled before she replied to the blonde who was still sitting on her desk. "He's a Bailey now?" Jessica whispered during the short period of silence, obviously not willing to let go of her Grey's Anatomy references just yet. Hanna only honored that question with a combination of a half-nod and an eye roll.

The brunette on the other line suddenly seemed to fall into one of her deep phases: "I don't even know why but I can't really imagine Wren going into an OR and cutting people open. And, you know, saving lives and all that. Isn't it kind of surreal?"

"It kind of is, actually." Hanna agreed. "He's sneaked me in to watch a coronary artery bypass once. It was…. incredible." Never would she be able to forget that experience.

A few months before she got this job, her life in New York wasn't all too glamorous. The girls she knew from the fashion institute were alright if you wanted company to go clubbing but that was about all they ever did. Best friend material not included. The only person she felt she could actually count in this city was her boyfriend – a fact that comforted and scared her at the same time. After all, how was she to know that they would last forever? Nothing did. Maybe he'd fall for some snotty doctor skank who was a way better match than she could ever be. Driven by fears of that kind, Hanna found herself ever so often homesick, as soon as the littlest thing awoke the most ridiculous memory of the girls or Rosewood. This time, it was the smell of her mom's perfume in Sephora. Suddenly feeling horribly lost and vulnerable, she eventually found herself at the reception of Wren's hospital, desperate to hold her tears back. With every passing second, this whole idea seemed more and more pathetic to her. What was she even thinking, disturbing her boyfriend in the middle of work like that? He'd probably be upset and think her grandma died or something. Or this would finally make him realize what a complete train wreck she was and cause him to run off with someone mentally stable.

She was just about to turn on her heel when Wren came up to her. She shouldn't have made the receptionist page him for nothing but her feeling a little homesick. God, what a terrible girlfriend she was. Now that realization actually made her sob.

"Hanna, what's wrong?" Wren grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him, sounding concerned but not as freaked out as she had feared he might be.

"Nothing, I-. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have come here, I'm only wasting your time." She was still sobbing and feeling more and more ashamed.

Wren shook his head, softening his grip. "Just tell me what happened, love."

"Coco Noir." She sobbed and he took her in his arms immediately. "I just don't think I can do this anymore. I'm not getting anywhere here, I don't have my friends around, you're the only one I have and if you… "

"Shh, it's alright" he interrupted her, trying to soothe her, as good as he possibly could in the middle of the hospital. "Don't even think about that. You know I would never purposely hurt you, don't you?" He let go of her and lifted her chin up, so that her eyes met his.

Hanna quickly wiped her tears away. "Yeah, I know, I…I told you, I'm just being stupid. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." Right after he had kissed her on the forehead, his beeping pager disturbed them.

"I'm afraid I'll have to go now, love." He sighed and pecked her on the lips. "Unless… How would you feel about watching a heart surgery?"

"Is that allowed?" Hanna asked, a slight excitement rising inside of her.

"No. But I'm sure I could sneak you in." Wren offered excitedly, running his fingers through her hair, eventually putting it up in a bun. "If you just sit in a corner in the front row, everybody's going to mistake you for Dr. Preston with your hair up like that."

Ten minutes later, Hanna found herself looking down at the OR, only separated from it by thin glass. Once the patient had been wheeled in, she felt a rush of adrenaline taking over her body, as if she was about to do the surgery herself. This was a lot better than TV. Luckily, the few other spectators didn't seem to notice her presence, probably being too engaged in the happenings themselves. Wren got to do most parts of the surgery on his own, apparently having proved to be worthy of a solo. She found it hard to believe that her boyfriend was actually down there, stabilizing someone's beating heart. All her worries vanished in an instant. Suddenly, it seemed completely delusional to her that only a few minutes earlier, she had seriously considered going back to Rosewood. This city was where she belonged and that guy reducing someone's risk of getting a heart attack later one was with whom she belonged.

Aria's voice brought her back to the present. "Really? Wow, that's so cool! I'm so jealous of you right now! … It's also kind of hot, right?"

"Oh yes." Hanna giggled. "Those on-call rooms aren't just the perfect place for a hook-up on those medical series. Anyway, how are things going with Ezra?"

She could feel the girl shrug on the other line. "I don't know, it's just… complicated." One would've thought Aria's relationship with Ezra should get a lot easier after graduation, but, well, it didn't. It was nothing but a constant on and off.

"I'm sorry, Aria. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay. It's a perfectly normal question coming from someone with a functioning relationship. Anyway, I'm actually calling because I want you to come here. Emily's swim team is competing against Hollis' crappy one and Spencer should have time to come to town as well, so I thought it would be the coolest thing if we could all have a little meet-up. You can bring Wren, if you want."

"Oh my God, that is the coolest thing! I'll make time, no matter how or when, I just will." Hanna could hardly sit still. How great would it be to meet up with all of her old friends in Rosewood? She and Wren could stay at her mom's place for a week and everything would be wonderful. Or maybe this whole thing could get even more wonderful? "Okay, here's an idea: How about you guys all try to get two weeks off, we spend one together in Rosewood and then you all stay with Wren and me in New York?"

Aria's voice lit up with joy. "That would be fantastic! We'll have to find a way to arrange that."

Hanna would've burst out in a happy dance, had she not heard the annoying barking of her boss' Chihuahua Gigi coming from the elevator.

"Aria, I have to go. My boss is coming. Can I call you back tonight?"

"Of course, Han. I'll talk to Spence & Em about this already, if that's alright with you."

"It sure is. I doubt that Wren would actually mind you guys staying over. Talk to you later. Bye, Montgomery."

"Bye, Marin."