A/N: Okay, so… there's a scene in the first half of the chapter that perhaps should be rated M. And now that you've being warned, here's the epilogue. Enjoy.
Rosewood, Christmas Day 2027
It was a sunny but freezing cold morning in Rosewood. Snow kept falling since the day before and now laid all round about, deep and crisp and even, wrapping the entire town in its white fluffiness and a comforting silence.
The Hastings-Marin household was also unusually quiet, seeing as everyone was still fast asleep. After all, they had been up until late in the night to celebrate Christmas Eve with their friends and relatives so it was only natural for them to catch on to some well-deserved rest.
It was around nine when Hanna began to stir.
Stifling a yawn, she blinked her eyes open and tried lazily to stretch her limbs, only to find herself trapped in a warm, tender embrace. She was tucked into Spencer's side, with the brunette's arms wrapped loosely around her waist and their bare legs intertwined. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she snuggled up even closer to Spencer and rested her head onto her wife's chest, listening to her strong, steady heartbeat. Up to these days, it was still the best, most wonderful lullaby Hanna has ever heard.
She turned her head slightly and leaned up to press a soft kiss on her neck, then another on her jaw, and then another one on the cleft in her chin, until…
"Ugh" Spencer let out a low, guttural grunt and strengthened her grip on the blonde, pulling her impossibly closer and fully on top of her. "Good morning, beautiful" she husked into her ear, sending shivers down her wife's spine.
Boy, Hanna loved that raspy, sexy voice of hers.
"Morning" the blonde whispered back, stroking her cheek softly with the pad of her thumb. She then bend down and captured her lips in a slow, gentle kiss.
They pulled apart and locked gazes, losing themselves in the depth of each other's eyes; and for a moment everything was still. It was as if they were the only people existing in the world. A myriad of emotions passed between them in a matter of seconds: love, of course. But also tenderness, longing and a certain lust.
Hanna bit down on her lower lip, almost shyly. Almost.
"Han…" Spencer exhaled in warning, and her hands tightened on the blonde's hips.
"What?"
"You know perfectly well what that does to me"
"I don't know what you're talking about" Hanna shook her head innocently, but the mischievous glint in her eyes gave her away.
"Sure you don't" the brunette growled as she flipped them over on the bed.
Hanna's giggles abruptly stopped when she looked up into her lover's bottomless chocolate eyes and noticed her lusting expression; Spencer's pupils were wide and dark, almost completely black, and something began to boil in the blonde's lower stomach at the sight. Warmth spread throughout her body.
She hooked her hands around the brunette's neck and with a barely contained eagerness urged her head down, crashing their mouths together in a scorching, desperately hungry kiss.
"I want you so bad" Hanna murmured moments later against her lips, slipping a hand under the brunette's shirt to caress the bare skin of her back.
"Badly" Spencer couldn't help herself as she began to kiss along her wife's jaw, tracing a path all along the way to her wife's earlobe, biting down on it and sucking, certain to leave a small mark there, all the while moving her hand up the smooth flash of the other woman's stomach until she cupped her breast.
"Ugh" Hanna moaned, both in pleasure and frustration. "Really, Spence?!" It came out as a whimper, as Spencer's thumb brushed over her already stiffened nipple right then. "Why don't you put your mouth to better use instead?"
But then the unfathomable happened and she frowned. Hard. Spencer halted her ministrations to look down on her with a wary expression.
"I think we should stop"
"Wha-? No, no no no. No way. Don't you dare" Hanna shook her head energetically. "You come back here" she hissed and grabbed a hold of Spencer's shoulders, bringing her closer again.
"They're going to wake up soon" the brunette mumbled somewhat pitifully.
"No, they're not" Hanna insisted. "Come on baby, I need you" It was so true, she didn't even mind to resort to a little begging.
As if to show just how sincere the statement was, she wasted no time in repositioning herself before she began to move her hips in an even growing rhythm, grinding her pelvis against Spencer's thigh, seeking relief. Spencer observed the blonde for a second, completely mesmerized, before snapping into action.
She wrapped an arm around Hanna's waist, lifting her up just enough to pull her flannel pajama shirt over her head. Then she leaned their bodies down on the bed again and kissed Hanna leisurely. They broke apart and Spencer moved to kiss and nip along the blonde's throat and on her collarbone, then her chest, before taking a nipple in her mouth while fondling the other with her hand.
The other hand was busy running down Hanna's hips, caressing the side her thighs, cupping her ass. Hanna wrapped her legs around Spencer's waist, bringing her closer.
"Spen…-cer" she panted against Spencer's neck, kissing and sucking on her pulse point. "Please"
Spencer finally, finally, complied.
The brunette took her sweet time, but at the end she brought her hand where Hanna needed it the most. She cupped her covered sex and gasped slightly at the wetness she could already feel.
"You're so wet for me, babe" she moaned in marvel, and let her fingers slip under the silky garment and slid into the blonde's heated core.
"Stop teasing" Hanna groaned, her hips jerking upward and rocking against Spencer's hand at a maddening pace, craving the friction. "Aah… Please, Spence"
"What?" Spencer smirked against her lips from her hovering position; "What do you want, Han?"
"You know perfectly well"
"I wanna hear you say it" the brunette grinned wickedly, while slowly circling the blonde's entrance with her index finger.
And Hanna was going insane.
"FU-" she was going to give in and say it, but then the hand that barely moments ago was between her legs went to cover her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Mmhh" she tried to mumble something behind Spencer's palm, but the brunette shushed her.
Then, she heard it.
The thump of tiny feet running on the hardwood floor in the hall.
Hanna and Spencer shared a panicked glance before hurrying to put their pajamas on and slide under the blankets. Luckily they succeeded just in time. The door of their bedroom swung open and two very lively, very overexcited children jumped on the bed.
"They's sleepin' " The younger one frowned in disappointment. "They forget?" she turned her little blonde head to look at her big brother in confusion.
"Mama" the little boy, Alex, patted Hanna's head repeatedly. "Wake up mama! It's Christmas"
"Mommy" Sophie cried, shaking Spencer's form with a strength a three years old should not possess. "Get up! Fifi wants her presents" she demanded, crossing her little arms and leaving no space for arguments.
Spencer cracked one eye open and arched an eyebrow, pretending to scowl at the little girl.
"Excuse me?" she asked with a bit of an edge in her tone, propping up in a semi-sitting position on the bed. Hanna following suit.
But Sophie Hastings-Marin wasn't impressed. At all. She was such a bright child for her age that she had figured out a long time ago the most efficient ways to obtain whatever she wanted. She looked up to her mommies with her big blue, watery eyes and pouted slightly, her protruded bottom lip slightly trembling. For emphasis.
Spencer regarded her carefully; this time, she swore she was going to resist her daughter's adorableness.
But the kid knew better - and so did Hanna, who watched in amusement the staring contest between her struggling wife and their child's resolution.
"They're at it again" Alexander Hastings-Marin commented with such seriousness the blonde had to stifle a laugh.
He climbed onto the bed and settled comfortably on her mother's lap, observing the scene with indifference, while Hanna affectionately stroked his short brown hair.
He was five years old and the spitting image of his biological mother, Spencer. He was tall and lean, with expressive brown eyes and chestnut hair. He was incredibly smart, mature and talented, too. Even their expressions and their antics were awfully similar.
But, despite their uncanny resemblance, he was a total mama's boy. Of course he loved his parents just the same, it was just that he had an incredibly deep bond with Hanna. Maybe because she was the one who actually carried him.
The same was true for Spencer and Sophie: while the little girl was biologically Hanna's (and there were really no doubts about it, seeing as she was practically her miniature replica and had inherited all her qualities as well as her temper), she was especially attached to Spencer. Sometimes even too much. And to the brunette, well… she was mommy's spoiled little princess.
It was painfully evident, at times. Like now.
"Mo-mommy" Sophie hiccupped. She learned a while ago to cry on cue and obviously thought better to share this little secret of hers. After all, it always came in handy. "Pwease. You promised, 'member? 'When Alex and Fifi wake up tomorrow, they can have their presents', you said it"
"Fi is right mommy, you said it" Alex butted in. Not that he cared that much, but he was a good big brother and always had his little sister's back.
"Fiiine" Spencer sighed in defeat, sorely regretting all the times she asked Alison to babysit her children. Surely her cousin had something to do with her daughter's ever improving ability to manipulate her and all the adults around until they cave in to her every whim.
"Thank you mommy! Thank you thank you thank you" Sophie squealed and jumped into her arms, snuggling in closer. Then, all too soon she pulled back.
"So?" she tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes pointedly, "Where are our presents?"
And the brunette groaned exasperatedly.
"Honey, cut your mother some slack, would you?" Hanna smiled tenderly at her youngest. "You know how cranky she is before her coffee"
"I am not!" Spencer turned her head to look at her wife and gasped indignantly.
"You so are, babe" the blonde reiterated with a chuckle.
"Mhmh, you so are mommy" two sets of heads nodded vigorously in agreement, even not knowing what their blonde mother meant. It was so much fun watching their moms bicker sometimes.
"Hey you two, just whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Mama's" they both replied matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious, and the blonde beamed in triumph.
"Ah, I see how it is…" the brunette said with an exaggerated huff, as one of her hand flattened over her chest in a gesture of mock hurt. "Alright, then. I know when I'm not wanted" she shrugged helplessly and made to move out of the bed. "I think I'll go now…"
"Noooo" Sophie cried out. "Mommy come here"
"We love you" Alex panicked too. "We were forced to say it! Mama's scary when you disagree with her" the boy sheepishly admitted.
"Damn right, kiddo" Spencer snorted and burst out laughing.
"Wha-" Hanna gasped. "Alexander Hastings-Marin, you take it back"
"Sorry ma" her son mumbled as he quickly squirmed out of her embrace and scrambled to Spencer's side.
"Look now how the tables have turned" the brunette grinned widely as tiny arms wrapped around her neck and waist.
"Traitors" the blonde muttered playfully and turned her back on them.
She watched from the corner of her eye Spencer smirking and plotting something with their children's and a moment later, the blonde felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"Mama" her little girl whispered in her ear. "We talked 'bout this and you can join us if you want. Mommy said we can make room for you"
And surely enough, there was that dork of her wife glancing lovingly at her and patting the spot on the mattress at her immediate side. Hanna wasted no time to reach her family, enveloping them all in a group hug and covering each one of them in thousands of kisses.
They all cuddled for another hour or so, immensely enjoying the sweetness of these moments together. Then, Spencer's stomach growled quite loudly and the kids giggled hysterically.
"Ugh, guess I'm hungry" the brunette said patting her belly.
"You's so funny, mommy"
"Yeah! Do it again"
As if on cue, they heard another boisterous grumble and burst out laughing again.
"Come on guys, let's go have breakfast" Hanna prompted shaking her head and smiling fondly at her wife. "We gotta feed the beast"
"Hey" the other woman exclaimed.
"No offense" the blonde kissed her cheek and took her hand, leading her downstairs. "Come on, you big baby. Kids" She called behind her back. "Don't you want to see if Santa left any present for you in the living room?"
Sophie ears perked at the word and she dashed off in a crazy race down the hall, leaving an indifferent Alex behind.
"Slow down, Fi" Spencer yelled but to no avail. "We gotta cut her down on sugars, Han"
"Something tells me it won't change anything" Hanna sighed. "I love her to pieces but, gosh… sometimes she can be such a handful"
"I wonder who she takes after" the taller woman scoffed, only to receive a stern glare from her lover.
"What? It's true" Spencer defended herself. "And I wouldn't have her – or you – any other way"
And Hanna melted, because she knew the brunette meant it. She wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned up to peck her lips briefly. However, Spencer wasn't having it and she pinned Hanna's body against the wall and deepened the kiss.
"Spence…" the smaller woman breathed when they pulled apart. "We can't. The kids. Breakfast" she didn't know if she was trying to reason with her wife or herself.
"Well, I was going to have my meal earlier but someone interrupted…"
"That was rather lame and way too corny, don't you think?" Hanna arched an eyebrow in amusement.
"Yeah, I could do better" Spencer conceded. "Then again, I'm on an empty stomach and my mind is stuck on our previous… rendezvous. Some crotch-blockers are your children, by the way – OUCH" she hissed in pain as Hanna smacked her on the head. Hard.
"Don't call them that" the blonde chastised. "And what is it that they're my children only when they do something that annoys you?" she inquired knowingly.
Spencer smirked and opened her mouth, a sarcastic reply already on the tip of her tongue for sure.
"You might want to think about your answer" Hanna warned.
"Mama, what is a crotch-blocker?" Alex suddenly spoke up, his eyes sparkling in curiosity.
'Crap! Since when was he here? Long enough, apparently…'
"SPENCER! Honestly…" Hanna threw her hands up in exasperation. "You deal with what you did. Now"
She pushed the brunette away and walked to the kitchen. She needed coffee.
"Mommy?" the little boy insisted, this time turning his inquisitive eyes to Spencer.
Like his mother, he never passed up opportunity to learn something new. And just like his mother, he was restless and kept insisting until he obtained all the info he was looking for.
"Urgh" she scratched the back of her neck in a desperate attempt to buy herself some time, all the while her son continued to stare at her in wonder.
'Shit. I'm screwed'
[A few hours later, Dilaurentis-Field's household]
"Oh, I almost forgot" Spencer said as she stood up from the couch and went to retrieve something in her purse; she hurried back and handed Alison a bottle of wine. A very expensive one. "This is from Mary. I'd received one, too"
"Oh, that's very nice of her" the blonde smiled.
"Yeah" Emily nodded her head in agreement as she took a hold of her fiancé's hand. "By the way, where is she now?"
"London" the other brunette replied. "She, um, she's staying with Charlotte and Rollins for a while. Then she said she would like to go to Peru. Probably to meet an old flame or something like that" she chuckled slightly and breathed a sigh of relief when neither Alison nor Emily stiffened or reacted badly to the news.
Things didn't go smoothly for them, but she was immensely glad – and relieved – that, in the end, the two found their way back to each other. It happened five years ago, when Elliot Rollins fell in love with Charlotte.
They met during his time working at Welby, where she was a patient, and something clicked between the two of them. They had a brief affair before Alison eventually found out and kicked him out.
Finally free to live their romance out in the open, they decided that nothing really linked them to Rosewood, well not anymore, so they booked the first flight for England and they off they went.
The end of her marriage left her heartbroken and pregnant with twins, but in time she recovered. Thanks to a certain tall, athletic brunette that now sat at her side and held her hand.
Emily moved in with her, helped her throughout her pregnancy and after she gave birth to two wonderful little girls, Lily and Grace. And in the meantime, they finally admitted their true feelings for each other. Ever since then, they were the happiest their friends had ever seen.
"Well, it seems like every piece of the puzzle fell into place, at the very end" Aria commented, resting her head on Ezra's shoulder.
"Yeah, it seems so" Hanna replied, and her voice was a little too tight and her eyes a little too misty. She cast a glance at the kids that were quietly playing together in the adjoining room, then turned to look at her friends, one by one.
Emily and Alison, Aria and Ezra, Toby and Yvonne, Caleb and his latest girlfriend, Karen. Mona and Jason - yeah, they were still trying to get used to that. And then, Melissa and her husband, whose name she still couldn't remember, even after all thise time.
They all looked older, wiser and happier.
They were married, or about to get married; they had kids.
They had jobs and responsibilities and commitments, but all considered, life didn't treat them too badly. On the contrary.
More importantly, they were still there, together. No matter what.
It had to mean something.
A hand she knew all too well came to rest on her stomach. She looked up and locked gazes with her wife.
God, she was so in love. With Spencer, with their children, with their life.
"I love you" she whispered on her lips.
"I love you, too" Spencer whispered back, and Hanna could feel it in their kiss just how true and heartfelt her words were.
"It's not going to stop"
"What?"
"Falling in love with you" Hanna replied. "It won't stop. Day after day, year after year. I feel like I love you more and more with each passing minute. It's quite frustrating, actually" she chuckled between her tears. Happy tears.
"I know" Spencer smiled softly. "I feel this way, too"
And Hanna nearly kissed the life out of her.
They pulled apart when their friends awkwardly reminded them of their presence in the room.
Spencer blushed slightly and wrapped her long arm around the blonde's shoulder, pulling her closer. Hanna rested her head in the crook of her neck, bringing their intertwined hands over her baby bump.
In the year that had yet to come, they were going to welcome another tiny little person in their happy family. It was an exciting, yet unsettling thought. Two kids, and she still wasn't used to such levels of anxiety. Having a baby was one of the scariest thing one could experience.
But for now, they were still in their bubble, surrounded by their loved ones, and everything was perfect.
Outside, the world was cold. Snowflakes trickled down from the sky, the streets were frozen and a bone-chilling wind blew over the town. Christmas' lights wrapped around doorways and dangling off the edges of rooftops brightened the night.
Inside, the fireplace was on.
Alison and Emily, perfect hostesses, were passing around mugs of eggnog and hot chocolate. Aria was entertaining all of them with anecdotes only a successful writer could come up with, making everyone laugh.
She chuckled along with the others, even though she hadn't listened to a single word her small brunette friend had just said. It didn't matter. This was her family.
Her big, loud, caring, protective, at times overbearing and overwhelming, but always extraordinarily beautiful family. And nothing else mattered, because she felt so warm, so loved, and exactly where she was supposed to be. She closed her eyes and grinned like only a fool who has watched all her dreams come true could; she had everything she ever wished for since she was a child. And she couldn't be more grateful, feel more happy or fulfilled.
Yeah, Hanna Marin-Hastings was definitely, irremediably, incredibly in love.
She glanced up at Spencer only to found the brunette already gazing down at her, knowingly. Of course she knew. She was always going to know what went through her head and her heart. They felt the same way, after all.
Their hearts beat as one. They always had, and they always will.
A/N: And that's the end. As you know (maybe), this is my first fanfic ever, so it holds a special place in my heart. I don't want to be too cheeky, but I would like to thank every single one of you who stopped by to read this story, leave a review, a message or something. It really meant a lot to me.
While I was writing this chapter, I realized that there were a lot of things that I was letting out; a lot of things that kept popping up in my head and I wasn't able to insert here. In fact, the chapter didn't go at all as I originally planned. The fact is, I'm not ready to say goodbye to this little fictional world yet, and I would like to write something about Hanna's pregnancy. Sooner or later, I will. Just so you know, if you're interested or if you maybe have any suggestions. So yeah, that's it. Thank you again!