Rosewood, December 2011

Not even two weeks had passed since Alison's big return in town from the dead that things just went 'from worse to worser' – as Hanna eloquently put it. They all were, once again, trapped in her net of lies and secrets. Only, this time the stakes were considerably higher. Their lives as well as their freedom were in jeopardy.

In fact, the police didn't seem too inclined to believe Alison's heartbreaking, Nobel-worthy made-up story of how she was kidnapped and had been kept in captivity for two whole years, and how eventually she succeeded in a fleeting escape thanks to her four best friends; friends that were all covering for her, if nothing else to avoid ending up sharing a 6x8 jail cell.

So yeah, no pressure at all.

And Hanna just got the short straw of the entire situation; as if going back to play the unpleasant role of Ali's puppies wasn't already enough, the former queen-bee of Rosewood High had the nerve to ask Ashley Marin if she could crash at her house for a few days, until her dad came back from his business trip. That, of course, completely bypassing the younger Marin.

Needless to say, whenever Alison Dilaurentis wanted something, she got it.

Hence, Hanna's current dark mood and her need to escape the mess that had recently become her life.

Sadly, she settled on alcohol as her coping mechanisms. Much to a certain brunette dismay.

Spencer and Emily were walking down the hallway when a loud, metallic sound caught her attention and made her halt in her tracks. She turned her head and watched discreetly from the corner of her eye the blonde bending down to pick up an empty can of beer that had fallen from her locker.

The two brunettes shared a worried glance and sighed.

"God, Hanna… what are you doing?" Spencer exhaled.

Emily regarded her with sympathetic eyes.

"How are things between you two?" the swimmer asked tentatively.

"Ugh…" the other brunette groaned, scratching her neck. "I don't really know. It's awkward. I mean, sometimes we talk and all, and she was there for me during, you know, the time I was in rehab, but… she's cold. And… it's just not the same as before. Obviously" she let out a humorless chuckle.

"Besides, I saw her a couple of times hanging out with Caleb…"

Emily frowned at this.

Ever since her two best friends broke up a month ago, the blonde had been slowly but gradually distancing herself from all of them, eventually stopping to keep them updated on what was going on in her life. And that hurt Emily. A lot.

Everybody knew they were the closest of friends, much like Spencer and Aria. And that they had no secrets.

Nowadays, however, they only talked when there was some emergency meeting about –A or Alison or things like that.

Things got even worse when Caleb moved back in town.

The two of them started to talk again, then going out (even if Emily was absolutely certain that Hanna was still in love with Spencer and that nothing was going on between her and her ex-boyfriend).

But coincidentally, Hanna's little habit of getting drunk started the moment the guy reappeared in her life.

"I really screwed up, didn't I?"

"Oh, Spence…"

"I just… well, it doesn't matter now. Please, keep an eye on her, would you?" she pleaded with a rueful smile.

"Of course" Emily promised "But I think you should talk to her, too. Show her that you still care"

"Em" Spencer began, but then thought better of it; "We're still on for this afternoon?" she deflected.

"Uh, about?" Emily replied genuinely confused.

"Checking out the stables!" the other brunette exclaimed; "The ones Aria found out about, where Jessica Dilaurentis used to take Bethany? Remember?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course"

"Good. I'll pick you up after school"

"Okay, see you later"

Spencer nodded and, sparing a last glance at an oblivious Hanna, she turned around and walked out of school. She had a free period, and she knew just how to take advantage of the time at her disposal.

She had to talk some sense into someone.

That's why she found herself in front of Caleb's cabin at two in the afternoon. She knocked repeatedly and more forcefully with each time until, after a while, the guy showed up at the door.

He seemed to have just woken up and looked like he was still slightly hungover from the night before. His eyes widened when he recognized the girl standing in front of him.

Spencer unceremoniously brushed past him and entered the cabin, without sparing so much as a glance or a word. Looking around herself, she noticed the place was trashed.

The two stood there facing each other off. The brunette inhaled deeply, but Caleb beat her to it.

"Spencer" he acknowledged her, eventually. "Might as well make yourself comfortable, I have a feeling this is going to take some time" he offered.

"Actually, no, I don't think so. I was just stopping by on my way to Emily's"

"And you took the panoramic route just to come and say hi?" the boy arched an eyebrow.

"Hey, don't even try it. Now sarcasm is much more of my thing" Spencer quipped. "You perfectly know why I'm here, so let's go straight to the point: Caleb, this can't go on. Hanna's a mess, and she's been ever since you guys started to hang out again"

"Really, Spencer?" Caleb flared up; "You really think you have nothing to do with that?" he pointed a finger at her.

"I-"

"No, now you listen to me! All she wanted to do was to be with you, she loved you, but you left her. You broke her. And don't get me started on all this bullshit about Alison and –A and all the crap that's going down. So don't get all righteous on me, you're really in no position to lecture anyone"

Spencer was stunned. She knew that Caleb was right, to an extent at least. Still, in her eyes he had his fair share of responsibilities. He was Hanna's drinking buddy, after all.

"I know I made my share of mistakes, and that she's going through a lot, but she's a loose cannon right now and I'm not the one supplying her with gunpowder"

"What?" the guy asked perplexed.

"She's not drinking alone, Caleb!" Spencer exploded. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you two, and I guess it's not really my business, not anymore. And that's my fault, alright. But I know that you care about her. And you're the closest one to her right now, so please…" Spencer's voice cracked with emotion and her eyes welled up with tears that she was adamant to not let fall, not in front of him.

"For her sake, Caleb… I'm begging you, for Hanna's sake"

But Caleb didn't say anything and Spencer turned around, ready to leave. She stopped one last time on the threshold:

"If you lo-" she began, but she found she couldn't bring herself to say those words, so she rephrased, "If you truly care about her, you'll stop with that crap"

And with that, she left.

She silently cried the whole time during her drive to Emily's place, but if the swimmer noticed her red, puffy eyes when she hopped into her car, she had the grace to not bring it up. Still, she was extremely concerned about her friend.

They were wandering around the horse farm, asking questions about Mrs. Dilaurentis and Bethany Young, trying to find something useful, when there was a clap of thunder and suddenly rain started pouring down on them.

Spencer ran towards the stalls and Emily reluctantly followed her. To put it simply, she was not so fond of horses.

"What are you doing? Why don't we go just back to your car?" Emily nearly pleaded.

"Let's just take a look around here first" the other brunette replied, going straight ahead.

She convinced herself that focusing on the matter at hand would help keeping her distracted from other, upsetting thoughts about a certain blonde girl.

But that was a huge mistake, as they both soon learned at their expenses.

Someone, quite conceivably their personal stalker, locked them inside just as another tremendous thunder echoed loudly, scaring off the poor beasts.

A thrilled horse managed to break through the fence and a piece of wood sideswiped Spencer on her face. Luckily for them, it also crashed the gate, allowing the girls to flee out of the stalls.

They bolted off towards Spencer's car and sped off out of that place.

"How's your eye?" Emily asked concerned from the driver seat, when they were already far away and on their way back to Rosewood.

"It hurts" Spencer admitted in a trembling voice.

They still were shaking from their little adventure there, knowing they got lucky this time. Objectively, it could have been a lot worse.

Emily was about to say something when their phones buzzed with the same incoming text:

"SOS – Hanna"

They exchanged an apprehensive glance.

"Is it okay if I drive directly to her house?" Emily asked tentatively.

"Of course" Spencer nodded.

"Spence, can I ask you something?"

"…yeah, shoot"

"Why did you break up with Hanna?"

"I told you, Em. I was in a really bad place and it wasn't fair of me to get her involved in my crap"

"That's all?" the athlete pressed.

It was as if she knew there was more to the story. Spencer sighed, realizing that she couldn't really escape the conversation. And, quite frankly, she didn't have the energy to deflect anymore.

"That night, when Hanna found the amphetamines… we had a fight, and I involuntarily hurt her. Like, physically. I didn't even realize what I had done until she was on the floor, crying her eyes out" Spencer explained through gritted teeth. She was still so angry with herself, so ashamed.

Emily's sharp intake of breath at the revelation only served to feed her guilt.

"But you didn't mean any harm, Spence. Hanna knows it" Emily tried to reassure her friend. "You would never hurt her, or anyone else for that matter"

"I'm not so sure" Spencer whispered brokenly. "And certainly, I wasn't sure of that at the time"

"What do you mean?"

"After I pushed her, Hanna almost immediately forgave me. She kept repeating over and over again that it was okay. We went to bed and after a while we fell asleep. But then I had this nightmare – well, not really a nightmare. It was more like a flashback, you know?"

Emily nodded her head, prodding Spencer to continue her story.

"It was about the night Ali disappeared. I remembered our fight, how furious I was with her, how desperate I felt when she found the pills. And…"

"And you thought it was you to… to hit her, that night" the swimmer finished for her.

"Yeah… and at the time we didn't know Ali was alive, and I didn't know I was innocent, after all. So…"

"So you thought that because it happened already once in the past that you lost control and harmed someone, it could happen again… it happened again, with Hanna" Emily once again spoke for Spencer.

"Exactly" the brunette confirmed. "And I couldn't live knowing that I hurt, or I could've hurt at any time, the person who matters the most to me"

"Oh, Spencer…" Emily sighed, grabbing a hold of Spencer's hand and squeezing it comfortingly.

"I think Hanna knows, in her heart, that that was the motive"

"I don't know Em, and it really doesn't matter anyway. I ended up hurting her the same"

"Yes, but you can make amends. She loves you like crazy, Spence; she'll forgive you"

"Maybe. But I'm starting to think that she's better off without me"

"Honestly? I don't think it's your call to make. If she wants to be with you and you feel the same, then I don't see why the two of you shouldn't be together"

Maybe she said it more harshly than she intended, but she had a point to make and if that helped her usually smart best friend to get her head out of her ass, then she wouldn't regret it.

"Em…" Spencer was caught off guard by this. "I-I don't know what to say"

"Well, you don't have much time to figure it out. We're here" The other brunette said just as she parked the car in front of the Marin's household.

Just as they reached the door and Spencer was about to knock, Emily halted her placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait"

"What is it now?" Spencer asked slightly annoyed.

Emily frowned but decided to let it go. After all, she knew that Spencer's frustration was not directed to her.

"Make it right" Was all she had to say, before they both stepped inside the house.

They went upstairs and into Hanna's bedroom, where they found their two blondes friends in the middle of what looked like a nasty argument.

"Aehm, what's goin' on?" Emily tentatively asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

The tension in the room was so palpable, they could have cut the air with a knife.

"What's going on, you ask?" Hanna repeated slowly, her temper raising dangerously; "It happens that your beloved Alison, here, is a sociopath"

"Nice word" Spencer couldn't help the quip.

"Thank you" Hanna scoffed. "You know, you're not the only smarty pants in the-" She trailed off when she turned around and noticed for the first time Spencer's black eye. "What happened? You're injured again. Why is it you're always getting injured?" she asked frantically, forgetting for a moment everything and everyone else around them.

And Spencer had to smile a little at her ex-girlfriend's concern. 'Maybe Emily was right, maybe there is still hope for us', she thought.

"And what's with the smell?" the blonde sniffed rather loudly the air.

"Manure" Spencer answered. "Em and I went over to the stables, we got locked in this stall and the horse next to us just went psychotic and we got really close to being kicked to, well, to death" she made a vague gesture with her hand, as to say 'let's not make a big deal about it' but Hanna and Alison were just plainly shocked.

"What? Were you hit too?" Alison turned to Emily.

"I can't believe this" Hanna muttered to herself.

"It could have been bad, but we're fine. Well, I'm fine. Spencer not so much" Emily casted a brief look to the injured brunette. "So, why were you two fighting? What was that 'SOS' about?"

"I asked Noel to break into Hanna's house" Alison calmly explained.

"What? Why did you do this?" Spencer asked bewildered.

"I needed someone who mattered, like Hanna's mom, to stop questioning what happened to me and dissipate the police's doubts. And it worked, didn't it?" she said the last part looking directly into the other blonde's eyes, almost challenging her to say otherwise.

"That's just insane! What was the plan if he'd got caught? 'I'm sorry Mrs. Marin, I just needed to borrow a butcher knife'?!" the brunette mocked.

"You're a little loud" Alison retorted.

"And you're a little crazy!" Spencer shot back.

The argument escalated pretty quickly and to the point that they were now all yelling to each other. Hanna was having just about enough, of everything, so she did what she had been doing for the last two weeks, she grabbed her flask and took a generous sip of whatever liquor she had in there.

"Hanna, easy" Spencer glared.

"You know what? That's enough! Last time I checked, this was still my bedroom. Even though somebody else got in and invaded it" She gestured towards Alison; "Even the doorknob smells like you"

Alison scoffed while Spencer and Emily exchanged a perplexed glance.

"Why were you smelling the doorknob?" Spencer asked, genuinely curious.

"Urgh" Hanna groaned throatily.

She was about to take another sip when Spencer grabbed her hand and dragged her away, leaving behind them their two very puzzled, very dumbfounded best friends.

"Spencer, what are you doin'?" the blonde slurred.

"Come with me"

"Where?"

The tall brunette stopped and turned around to look at the other girl. There was something in her gaze that Hanna couldn't quite figure out.

"Does it matter?" she asked earnestly.

"I guess no" the smaller girl shrugged and followed her, their hands still clasped firmly.

Spencer lead her to her car and once they were settled, she started the engine and drove off. They were in silence the whole time, Spencer focused on the road and Hanna staring out of the window, a faint, distant smile etched on her lips.

Despite everything they went through, she couldn't help but think that that was the place where she was supposed to be. By Spencer's side.

Her heart leaped when she realized that, throughout Alison's stay at her home – but if she was honest with herself, even before than that – she was waiting for the brunette to come and take her out from a house that she didn't perceive as hers anymore, not since Alison unceremoniously set foot in there.

Once again, she was counting on Spencer to save her.

And once again, Spencer did not disappoint.

So, maybe, that meant she still cared. She still loved her.

With these thoughts running through her head, she didn't notice at first that they had reached their destination.

"Hey, we're here" Spencer's voice brought her back from her musings. "Come on, let's get inside"

"We're at your lake house" Hanna whispered. She didn't know why, she just couldn't find her voice, all of a sudden.

"Yeah" Spencer smiled hesitantly. "Is that okay? I thought you could use a little getaway"

"It's perfect" Hanna reassured her, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers; "Thank you" she offered a grateful smile.

They made their way inside and almost instantly Spencer went to turn on the fireplace.

"Wow, this place is tidier than my room" Hanna mused.

"Well, you know how are my parents. We have a housekeeper cleaning this place twice a week. Oh, we're lucky" the brunette called from the kitchen area, "We also have some food"

"I knew there were perks to be with a Hastings" the words slipped out of the blonde's mouth before she even had time to realize the implications.

"I-I mean… I didn't mean…" she chanced a wary glance towards Spencer, and she was left breathless when she noticed Spencer's loving gaze already fixed on her.

The brunette wasted no time to approach the other girl on the couch, sitting beside her.

"Han, I…"

She wanted to say so much, but words were failing her. So, on an impulse, she leaned in and tried to kiss her. Only to have Hanna pushing her away.

"Spencer, no, we can't…" she whispered.

"Oh" the brunette swallowed hard. A lump had formed in her throat, but she managed to find the voice to ask the blonde what was nagging her for about two weeks now.

"You and Caleb… are you guys…" she didn't have the strength to complete the sentence.

"You really have no right to ask me that question" Hanna snapped, and Spencer averted her eyes.

"You're right…"

"But no, there's nothing between us. You should know damn well how I feel"

And just like that, Spencer's head shot up, hope shining in her eyes.

So much for being the girl who used to say that 'hope breeds eternal misery', Hanna mused with a small smile.

"But you hurt me. Badly"

"I know" Spencer choked out. "And I'm so sorry. And if you'll let me, I will make it up to you every day of my life, for as long as you'll have me"

Hanna scooted closer to her and rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder.

"You should be careful with your promises" she murmured in the crook of her neck.

Spencer wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her even closer, and bent her head down to leave a soft kiss on the blonde's hair.

"You know I don't make promises I can't keep"

Hanna lifted her head and stared deeply into Spencer's eyes. Apparently she found what she was searching for, because after a few minutes of deliberation, she leaned in and pecked the other girl's gently.

Any other time Spencer would have tried to take control and deepen the kiss, but this time she let the blonde set the pace. She owed her that much.

She had to work hard to regain the blonde's trust.

"I love you so much" she whispered instead, trying to convey with her voice and with her gaze the depth of her feelings.

"I love you too" Hanna whispered back. "Even if you're a plain, giant idiot" she smirked a little.

"The biggest one in the whole world" Spencer concurred.

"But you're my idiot…?" It came out more like a question, and Hanna hated how insecure her voice sounded.

Spencer hated it too, and once again she blamed herself and cursed her foolishness.

"Always and forever" she tried to reassure the blonde.

Hanna decided to believe her and leaned in again. And this time their kiss was more passionate, more hungry. It showed just how much they had missed each other during the time they were apart.

Hanna moved to straddle Spencer, starting an assault on the brunette's neck with her mouth.

"I missed you. Don't ever let me go" Hanna mumbled between kisses. "Do-not-let-me-go-ever-again" she said between nibbles and bites and licks.

She knew she was leaving marks on her skin, and that's exactly what she wanted. She was branding the older girl, reinforcing the concept dictated by her words.

Spencer tightened her grip on the blonde and they shifted position until they were lying down on the couch.

"I missed you too. I love you" she said looking straight into blue orbits, shining with emotions.

She brought a hand to her cheek and gently wiped away the blonde's tears.

"I don't want to go another minute in my life without you" she whispered, before leaning up and capturing Hanna's lips in another slow, searing kiss.

They made out for a while, but when things started to get too heated, something suddenly snapped in Spencer's brain.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, sitting up and urging Hanna to halt her ministrations.

"What now?" Hanna groaned exasperatedly, feeling slightly impatient.

"This is my nana's sofa" the brunette mumbled, blushing profusely.

"Seriously?" Hanna rolled her eyes.

But the moment she saw those puppy dog eyes and that damn adorable pout on her girlfriend's face, she relented.

"Fine, bedroom" she conceded with an exaggerated huff.

And Spencer wasted no time getting up and carrying the blonde upstairs, intent on worshipping her and showing her just how much she loved her.

A/N: Guys, thank you so much for reading, following, reviewing. I'm glad you're liking this story so far.

Zak194: I don't know what to say, except thank you. I'm a huge fan of your works, and those words coming from you… well, I'm truly honored and I'm glad you appreciate my version of Spanna.

SibunaMockingjay: Yeah, I agree with you. I don't know, I always had the feeling that everyone on the show though of Spencer as the 'infallible' one and took her strength for granted, like she was unbreakable; surely, she's the most reliable, but she's human, she has her faults and her vices. And I happened to love her character even more when she showed her fragility. One of the reasons I always preferred Spanna over Sparia is because I always saw a deeper connection between them. They simply get each other, and they were always there for each other. Always. Something that didn't happen with Aria or Emily.

Anyway, enough of this stuff. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as well. 'Til next time ;)