Author's Note: Thanks to all of my wonderful readers for reading and reviewing. I would simply like to start by apologizing, the number of dedicated readers I have for this story astounds me and I can not apologize enough for the amount of time since my last update. I can however provide a chapter more then 3x as long as the last and say without fail the next chapter will be up very soon! I hope you all love this chapter :)

Chapter 4 - The Heart Brings You Back

"Aria there you are" Spencer said as the friends ran into each other a few yards from the parking lot.

"Did you get the message from Hanna too" Emily asked?

"Ya, come on we should hurry" Aria told them not wanting the attention to be on her whereabouts.

They got to the parking lot and almost immediately saw Hanna. They ran toward her and ended meeting in the middle of the parking lot. "I. I know who A is" Hanna said panting and out of breath. The three girls had many thoughts going through their heads. "Who" Spencer began saying, just then they were all distracted by a set of luminescent bright lights coming towards them. It was a car a car that appeared to not be slowing down. Screaming they scattered… Hanna didn't make it.

The car hit Hanna going full speed, and within seconds Hanna lay on the ground unconscious and bleeding everywhere.

"Hanna, Hanna" Aria repeated over and over again trying to help her friend. "She's not breathing" she cried.

Spencer and Emily cried loudly for help, Just then Spencer's phone buzzed not thinking scared to death she opened the message and the three girls read...

She knew too much - - A

They were all crying in hysterics now. "Help" Aria screamed loudly into the quiet night.

The girls stood behind medics as they strapped their friend to one of their stretchers. Emily and Aria were crying quietly… scared and terrified for the fate of their friend… for themselves.

"I'm done! I'm so fucking beyond done, A has gone too far this time," Spencer said angrily.

Aria took a deep breath, "A' wants us out of the way. He wants us all dead. He's not going to stop" she ended in a whisper wiping the tears off her cheek.

"Who in the hell cares what A wants! I'm not going to let that bitch get away with this!" Spencer said fuming.

"What are you going to do, Spencer? There's nothing we can do!" Emily objected.

"The only thing we can do is sit around and wait for it to happen to us" Aria whispered.

"Hanna knew something,' Spencer said with solidarity, "we have to figure out what it was."

"Exactly, Spencer!" Emily yelled, "Are you blind? Yeah Hanna knew something, and she's in an ambulance now. There's nothing we can do!"

Aria wasn't listening she couldn't. She sat on the curb her arms wrapped around her stomach crying. As the tears streamed down her face she stared off into the trees across the parking lot. She wasn't looking at the trees though, she was thinking... she was picturing the car, picturing Hanna laying on the ground, she was thinking of the text message from A and of how he knew about the baby. 'That could of been me. That could have been... my baby' she repeated over and over in her head.

"Whatever! Then I'll do it myself I'm not going to let the bitch get away with this anymore!" Spencer yelled back.

"He wants us angry and reckless so that he can take us out easier. We have to calm down!" Emily yelled.

Spencer took a deep breath and silently admitted that she was right. She yanked her arm away from Emily and stood back with her arms over her chest, watching as they put Hanna into the ambulance.

They all sat quietly in Emily's car as they drove through town. The ambulance had left several minutes before and they all wanted to be at the hospital for Hanna. As they passed the old church, Emily's looked sick.

The church was surrounded by police cars. Emily slowed to a near stop and her eyes met Toby's. He was sitting handcuffed in the back of one of the police cars.

"Em" Aria whispered, "are you okay?" They sat quietly for a few seconds.

"He didn't do it. Toby hasn't done anything and he's going to think I turned him in" she said her eyes focused intently on the scene around her.

"You knew where he was" Aria asked in shock?

Emily nodded her head. "He told me to trust him, I tried, but he isn't going to believe me now."

Aria looked at her sad friend. She watched as Emily and Toby stared silently at each other from across the crowded parking lot. If Emily was willing to put all her faith in the boy, that had to be worth something. If her best friend believed he was innocent… then she could believe that too. "I don't think he was the secret boyfriend. I think we were right, Ali never would have dated him," she said putting her hand on Emily's shoulder comfortingly.

"We know," Emily said in a low voice, shaking her head and breaking her gaze from Toby. "We didn't see A tonight, but..." Emily stated but cut herself off before she finished the sentence.

"Ali's secret boyfriend. It was Ian," Spencer added not taking her eyes off her Toby.

"What? Ian, Ian? As in, your sister's ex boyfriend Ian?" Aria asked confused.

Spencer nodded quietly.

Aria kept quiet for a few seconds trying to take in what her friends had just told her. Emily pulled away from the curb and began driving again. The rest of the drive was spent in silence.

"Where the hell were you at anyways?" Spencer asked as they stepped out of the car and walked in through the emergency room doors. "You were like MIA for over an hour."

Aria was stuck she could have just made an obvious lie but she didn't. All the lies, the secrets, it was too much right now. She wasn't sure what to say, so she stayed silent. Everything was coming out. Each of their deepest darkest secrets were being spilled and deep down Aria knew it was only a matter of time. Only a matter of time til the small town of Rosewood found out about her and Mr. Fitz, found out about everything… including her baby. As the thought ran through her mind Aria absent mindedly held her stomach.

"Aria are you okay? Are you gonna be sick?" Spencer asked.

"What" Aria asked breaking out of her trance like state. She realized how she must have looked. "No I'll be okay" she said quietly sitting in the hard hospital chairs. "Hopefully" she whispered with a sigh as Emily and Spencer's attention drifted back elsewhere.

The girls waited, and waited, and waited. Spencer looked around and sighed loudly "What in hell. Why can't someone tell us something?" As a nurse walked by Spencer stood up and walked over hurrying to follow her.

"Excuse me" she said trying to get her attention as she followed her. Aria and Emily looked at each other curiously as they got up to follow behind Spencer. "Excuse me" she said for the fourth time at almost a screaming tempo finally causing the nurse to turn and acknowledge them.

"Yes. May I help you" the nurse asked sarcastically, obviously annoyed by the girls.

"I hope so. Hanna Marian. We've been waiting for like an hour. We want to know what's going on and if she is okay." Spencer said demandingly.

"I'm sorry, I cannot give any information to you unless you are family, which I am guessing… you're not." The nurse told them, and walked away.

Spencer let out a loud exasperated groan.

"What do we do now?" Aria asked.

Emily surveyed the hall, "I think they might have an Idea," she said. The others whirled around to see Detective Wilden and the FBI agents standing and talking to the same nurse they had just spoken with, they were looking directly at the three. The law enforcement met there gaze and continued talking. "Thanks so much for your help." Wilden stated as he walked over.

"Well, well girls. We meet again. Can we have a little talk?" Detective Wilden asked in a not so asking tone.

"If you don't mind, right now's really not a good time," Spencer answered sarcastically.

"I'm going to have to have you girls come with us," the FBI agent demanded.

The three girls traded a look of apprehension mixed with annoyance, but conceded to following the detectives. They were taken down the hall into a smaller, empty waiting room, which must have been a private one for families. Wilden sat them down and wasted no time before he began questioning them, "Lets start with Toby Cavanaugh. He was picked up tonight outside the old church downtown. Did you girls know that?"

Emily nodded her head quietly.

Wilden nodded, "He's on his way down to the precinct now But I have some questions for you girls." None of the girls responded so Wilden kept talking, "Did you girls have any clue where Mr. Cavanaugh was?"

"What would it matter?" Emily asked annoyed. Toby was her friend, he had tried to reach out to her when nobody else would listen and she had turned her back on him. They were a lot alike those two they both weren't bad people like everyone thought so there was a slight difference people believed Toby to be a murderer and Emily was just gay… but still there were both just… misunderstood.

"Well that would be aiding a fugitive for a start" the detective said raising his eyebrows curiously.

"Then, lets say no" Emily said sarcastically.

Detective Wilden looked at her for a few moments in silence. "I spoke to your classmate Mona before I came down here, and she told me that Hanna wasn't invited to her party tonight. So what baffles me is, why… was Hanna out there in the woods?"

Spencer spoke up before either or the others had the chance. "We were getting a little annoyed at the party, Mona isn't our friend, we only went to be nice and we wanted to go home. I called Hanna to come pick me and Aria up cause Emily's mom doesn't like her driving with other people in the car something about it being a distraction. So like I said we got a hold of Hanna and she said she would meet us in the parking lot by the park trails, her and Mona had been fighting so she didn't want to have to see her. So we told her we'd meet her there and we figured we'd just walk to her car together."

Aria sat looking at Spencer in awe. She was by far the feistiest of the friends and she always knew what to say.

"Ahh, I see. So, why don't you tell me what all you saw?" Wilden requested.

Spencer, always the fastest on her toes, spoke first in , "Well, we got a text from Hanna saying that she was there and like I said we figured we'd just walk there together, but somewhere along the way we got separated from Aria, so we went searching for her. We finally found her and walked to the parking lot... just in time to see Hanna" Spencer said quietly, "to see them hit her" she finished more confidently.

"Mmhmm, we haven't heard from you… where were you Aria, when your friends could find you?"

"Huh?" She asked confused. She couldn't answer the question. How could she answer the question how could she tell them where she had been?

"When you weren't with your friends Ms. Montgomery. Where. Were. You?" Detective Wilden asked slowly.

Aria's breath caught in her throat. She felt like she was being deprived of oxygen and on top of that she had the overwhelming urge to vomit. "I. I" Aria started but was stuttering.

"You, what? Ms. Montgomery?" Wilden spoke softly.

She took a deep breath, "I. I felt sick," Aria spoke honestly hoping she didn't sound as weak as she thought she did. She once again held her stomach. She was so nauseous that she believed even if she didn't have a baby inside her she would still feel like throwing up all over the detectives. "I needed some quiet, when I, felt better, I went looking for them but obviously I didn't go in the right direction."

Wilden looked at Aria suspiciously. She knew she probably looked like shit right now but she didn't care she just wanted to go and lie in her bed. She just wanted to curl up in her bed, in her nice, warm, safe bed. Where she was safe were noone could hurt her, where she was safe… and where her baby was safe.

"Did any of you see who was driving the car?" Wilden asked after a few seconds.

"Are you kidding me! Of course not! If we had we wouldn't be sitting here with our mouths shut. Hanna's are best friend. Are you really that stupid?" Emily said astounded at the man's accusation.

"You know what here's the thing. There is only so much one can believe. Whenever anything happens in this place… there you four are. How bout we start getting some answers. Some real answers" the detective told them.

"You know what I'm getting a little tired of? You not doing your job. If Toby had a car you wouldn't have caught him waiting for a ride. He is as innocent here as the three of us. Which is what we are we haven't done anything. So why don't you stop bothering us and go find out who hit Hanna?" Emily told him as she retched over and put her hand on Aria's knee. She hadn't realized it but she had started shaking. She breathed a deep sigh and let it go slowly, as she regained her composure.

It was quiet for a few seconds before a smirk came over Detective Wilden's face, "How did you know Toby was waiting on a ride?" he asked.

Spencer looked at Emily's scared face. "You know what Mr. Wilden I think we've had about enough here. We have told you what we know and to be quite frank I'm tired of watching you play cops as we do your job for you… we are high school kids. That being said and I am sure you know, obviously, we… are minors. If you have anything else to say to us you can go through our parents or more specifically our parents attorneys as my mother has so kindly already informed you, Detective" Spencer said standing up, "Come on Aria, Em. We're done here" she said looking back at the detectives with a sarcastic smile. She held her hand out for Aria and the three left the room.

Several minutes later they were interupted by a nurse. "You poor girls are with that girl who was involved in the hit and run aren't you? Have you girls had a chance to be examined yet" an older, kinder looking nurse with graying hair asked as the three stood by the nurses station waiting for Hanna's mom?

"Yeah we're Hanna's friends. We haven't but it's fine, we're okay" Emily answered with a small respectful smile and the other two nodded in agreement.

"No, no you all need to be checked out after the night you've had you poor things. Come with me and I'll get you all situated in a room. And by the time we're done, hopefully we'll have some news about your friend" she said smiling comfortingly.

Emily looked at Spencer and shrugged uncaringly. "It wouldn't hurt" Spencer said softly and Emily nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay right this way girls" she said softly leading them behind the double doors they had seen doctors and nurses disappearing behind all night.

As they got to the room Aria felt herself begin to once again hyperventilate. How could she go in there? How could she be examined by doctors? How could she be examined by doctors in front of her friends… not 11 weeks pregnant she couldn't. "I, sorry for the trouble, but I really need to use the bathroom, is there one I could possibly use somewhere?" Aria asked the nurse panicked as they got to the room.

"Right down the hall to the left sweetie" she answered with a smile and a small chuckle as she began writing down basic information about both the other two girls.

Aria nodded and left the room. Her walk was more of a slow jog as she fled past the bathroom and back out the same double door and finally out of the hospital. As she stood in the dark night she breathed a deep sigh and ran her hands through her hair. She couldn't go back in there. She couldn't go home either she was stuck, alone, and scared.

She walked over to Emily's car and opened the door taking out her purse. She sighed again and began walking down the street. She retch inside her purse for her phone but when she pulled it her surprise caused her to drop it. "Shit" she cursed looking around the dark pavement and when she eventually found it she stood back up and read the post it note that was attached to the screen…

Too bad I only got Hanna, that sure would have taken care of your mommy issues… maybe next time - - A

Aria stood frozen for a second before looking around. What could she do. A was here, A had been at the hospital somewhere. A wanted her… or at least her baby hurt. She took the note off and threw it back into her purse before she continued to walk hurridly. By this point she felt like she were in the middle of nowhere and quite honestly didn't know her way back, I mean it wasn't as if she spent a great deal of time in the hospital.

Aria took her phone and began sending a message. can you pick me up? Please - Aria

She sighed loudly and shook her head as she sent the message. She was the one who told him she needed time not more than a few hours ago. But he was… the only person she could ask.

Of course. U at the park still? - Ezra

Aria quickly sent another message telling him where she was and he responded saying he would be there shortly. Aria couldn't help it, she couldn't help the feeling of desperation to be with him, the feeling of longing she felt to be held by him… but she knew she couldn't, she couldn't go back to him, she just… she wished it weren't so. He had hurt her, he had hurt her just like everyone else… but there was something about him. She felt safe. Like what A did didn't matter, because, when she was in his arms, nothing else mattered.

As promised within minutes Ezra pulled up and Aria got in without speaking. "How did you get clear over here" Ezra spoke after a minute?

"Hanna was in an accident. She got hit by a car, so we were at the ER. I just… I needed to get out of there" Aria spoke softly.

"Is she okay" Ezra asked in shock?

"I don't know. They won't tell us anything, and the cops wouldn't leave us alone, and they wanted us to get examined. I just, I needed some space, some time to process everything" Aria told him looking at her purse where she know the note from A still lay.

"If there's anything I can do Aria…" Ezra whispered taking her hand in his.

This time Aria didn't even think of pulling away. She didn't care about what had happened with him in the past several days… she couldn't think of all that. Right now all she could think about was how warm his hand was, and how protected and safe she felt sitting with him here.

"Would it be a problem if… could I stay at your place tonight? I really don't feel like being alone right now" Aria lied. Sure it was partially true but the honest answer was that she didn't feel like being alone with her parents or friends tonight.

Ezra looked at her with a sympathetic expression. "That's okay with me I would love that. But… are you sure?" He asked.

Aria simply nodded her head and looked down and his hand that was entwined with hers. She really felt like she was gonna throw up for the trillionth time today. She couldn't… she couldn't forgive him. They could not be together… what was she going to do? She asked herself silently.

"Do you want to talk about it" Ezra asked quietly as they sat on his couch nearly an hour later?

They hadn't spoke since the car. Aria couldn't bring herself to say much of anything. They were laying, her leaned against him and his arms wrapped securely around her. "Not really" Aria whispered in response.

Ezra nodded softly and wrapped his arms around her tighter and layed a kiss on the top of her head.

Aria zoned out. Here she was laying with Ezra like no time had passed at all. But honestly things had changed the last time they had layed here like this. Last time she hadn't been (at least she didn't know she had been) carrying her and Ezra's baby, she hadn't been trying to decide weather or not she wanted… or more so 'could', end her pregnancy. Here they were laying his hands rested unknowingly on her stomach. On their unborn child. On their precious baby. A single tear rolled down Aria's cheek and she rolled over slightly and buried her face into his warm chest taking in his smell, taking in him.

The next morning Aria woke up feeling nauseous, not a new feeling for the past several weeks but it was especially unpleasant at Ezra's house.

Once she had been to the bathroom and made sure she was presentable once more she sat down on the bathroom floor and pulled out her phone. Looking at it she saw that she had an overwhelming 34 text messages and 17 missed calls she sighed softly as she began to read. They all read the same. They were from Spencer and Emily telling her they were worried and to call her when she got this. Then there were a few voicemails from her father telling her that she had missed her curfew, that he was worried and to call and check in.

Just as Aria stood up to reenter the living area she felt another overwhelming wave of nausea sweep over her. She sat back down for a few moments trying to steady her breathing hoping that would keep her from being sick once again. "What are you doing to me baby" she asked quietly putting her hand on her stomach? Before she knew what was happening she was crying. This was the first time she had acknowledged her child directly, 'the first time she had ever talked to her… or him' she thought. She hated this and to make matters worse she was noticing, she didn't care how absurd of a thought it was, that every time Ezra held her, every time he touched her… her stomach fluttered. She couldn't quite pin point what it was but if she had to guess… the thing growing inside her, the thing causing such agonizing trouble, the thing causing such pain and heartache… the thing she loved so much already… her baby, was happy when Ezra was there, happy when it's mother and father were together.

After a few seconds she stood up and made her way out of the bathroom. "I was wondering where you'd been" Ezra said with a small smile.

"Sorry I didn't feel well" Aria said quietly as she sat back on the couch with her knees underneath her and pulled the small blanket she had covered up with in the night over her.

"Do you feel any better" he asked sitting beside her and pulling her against him as he stroked her hair softly?

"A little bit" she whispered with a small smile, the first she had had in days. The butterfly feeling in her stomach returned. Underneath her blanket she rested her hands on her belly. 'I love him too baby' she thought. She wished that she could lean up and kiss him but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She loved him, she felt safe with him, he made her happy, and…he had fathered her unborn child… but it wasn't as simple as that. As much as she wished it was it just it wasn't, it couldn't be, her life just didn't work that way. As much as he loved him and wanted nothing more than to be with him, she couldn't. She had a psycho stalker trying to get rid of her and her friends… a stalker willing to do anything to get revenge on the four girls, who knew about her and Ezra. Ezra, he wasn't just the love of her life (although she believed he was), he wasn't just the father of her unborn child… he was her teacher. And as much as she wished they could just be together, settle down and be a happy little family with their baby it would never happen, it was impossible. And with that thought she heaved a deep sigh trying to push it into the farthest corner of her mind.

"I think I should probably go back to the hospital Spencer and Emily are probably wondering where I'm at" Aria said not looking at Ezra as she sat up.

"Aria where have you been! We've been worried sick" Spencer said running toward the waiting room entrance as she walked through a half hour later.

"I was sick. I needed some time. Sorry" Aria said hugging Emily as she answered Spencer. "Any news yet?"

"Yeah actually we were just going to try and call you again. Mrs. Marian got called back about 30 minutes ago they didn't say why but the way they said it we think she might be awake" Emily answered as the three looked toward the same double doors Aria had fled from just last night.

Just then if like clockwork Hanna's mom came through the double doors. She approached them with a relaxed look. "She's awake now girls, she wants to see you. The doctors didn't think it was such a great idea but she insisted. You'll need to make it quick though" Mrs. Marian said with a small smile. "She's in room 214."

The three girls looked at each other wide eyed before making their way through the doors themselves.

Authors Note: Okay there it is J I hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry for keeping you all waiting for soo long. The next 2 chapters will have A LOT of Aria/Ezra, Aria/Hanna and a lot to do with the baby. I also fantastically already have them written so keep looking for them and the more reviews I read the sooner I will post it ;)