"You know, I would be a lot more at ease if you told me where we were going." All Hanna knows is that they're going on a trip. She doesn't know where, and she doesn't know for how long. All she knows is that they're almost there. At least, that's what he keeps telling her. Don't worry, Han. We're almost there. We'll be there soon. Caleb's trying his hardest to keep his mouth shut. He's put too much time into planning this to just throw it all away. She'll find out in due time, and when she does, he's sure he'll be the happiest woman on earth. Hanna's posture stiffens when she catches a glimpse of the exit they usually take to Rosewood. That's not where they're going, is it? He isn't trying to pass a trip to Rosewood off as a romantic vacation, is he? He is. They were turning onto that exit, and entering the downtown area. They're a look of disappointment on her face. She was hoping to go somewhere new; somewhere exotic (or, at least, outside of the Mid-Atlantic region). Not Rosewood. "We're just passing through, Han. The only reason I'm stopping is because my leg needs a break." That's one of many lies to escape his lips today, but they're for a good cause. "Fine." She just wants to get where they're going. These long car rides are getting more and more uncomfortable as the pregnancy progresses. She only just formed a bump, and she's already prepared to swear off all forms of motor vehicle.
They pull into Toby's driveway soon after. The tall male and his tall girlfriend are standing on the porch, waiting for them. Hanna wonders how they knew they were coming; Caleb hadn't touched his phone since they hit the highway. However, the thought disappears from her mind the minute she exits the car and is embraced by an excited Spencer, and a slightly calmer Toby. "Sorry for the short notice, guys," Caleb says, limping over to join them. "It's completely fine," Toby replies, putting a hand up. He turns to Hanna, saying, "I wasn't sure if you were gonna want a nap or not, but I got the guest room ready anyway." She bites down on her lesser lip, glances at Spencer, and then looks back at Toby. "It couldn't hurt to take a quick nap." She's running on less sleep than usual today; they left Manhattan early that morning, and were up for two hours before then packing for the trip. She could've napped in the car, but she was too focused on their destination to do so. But now she has an opportunity, and she wants to take it.
She hasn't taken it. She fully intends to, but she hasn't. Instead, she and Spencer are sprawled out across the bed in Toby's guest room, staring up at the ceiling, gossiping about their boyfriends. Hanna, in particular, is rather loose-lipped. "He want to move back to Rosewood," she tells her friend, not looking away from the starry patterns above them. "Do you?" Spencer already knows the answer to that; she knows just as much about this as Toby does. "Not if he's gonna keep his job in New York. He was gone almost all day the other day, and I felt so lonely... I don't think I would be able to handle him being away for days at a time." The taller of the two nods to show that she's listening, even though her friend isn't looking at her. "Would he consider getting a job here?" It's taking a lot of willpower for Spencer not to just come clean about what she knows. This isn't her secret to keep, but it's not hers to tell either. "I think he said he was going to look, but I haven't heard anything about any interviews, and he's been putting more work in at the job he already has."
"That's weird." The brunette's mind is searching for something, anything, that they can use to change the subject. "I think Toby's considering leaving the police force." That doesn't phase Hanna too much. She's too busy thinking about Caleb and this move. It's as if just being in the town has awakened these feelings; these feelings that she doesn't want to feel. "Good. He was the only stand up cop on the force anyway," the blonde mumbles. Another reason not to return to Rosewood: corrupt cops. A was long gone, but she was sure the Rosewood PD was still as crooked and flawed as ever. "I'm not gonna argue with that... But anyway, he wants to go into carpentry."
Hanna wants to be interested. She really does, but it's difficult to focus on anything other than her own situation right now. Spencer can tell, which is why she brings the conversation back around to her. "Do you guys know what you're having yet?" she questions, gesturing towards the small curvature on Hanna's midsection. "Not yet. We tried to find out at the last appointment, but the doctor couldn't get a good picture." Spencer's eyebrows furrow at that. "Oh. Well, do you know what you want?" Hanna shrugs. She's thought about it, but she knows whatever she has isn't going to change anything in the long run. If he's a boy, she'll love him. If she's a girl, she'll love her. "I don't really care as long as it's healthy." Cue a chuckle from Spencer. "Han, you're becoming a cliche." The blonde playfully elbows her in the shoulder for that. "You'll say the same thing whenever you and Tob—"
A knock at the door causes Spencer to rise from the bed. Hanna starts to stir as well, but Spencer gestures to her to stay put. From her supine position on the bed, Hanna catches a glimpse of Caleb through the partial opening in the door, before her friend slips through it and closes it. She considers following them, but she's comfortable where she is. So, she just closes her eyes and waits for Spencer to come back.
She doesn't realize she's dozed off until Spencer shakes her awake again. There's a familiar smile on her face, but Hanna's so out of it that she can't remember when she's seen it before. "Hey, Sleepyhead. That was your boyfriend. He wants to know whether or not you want to go to dinner tonight." Hanna rubs her eyes and sits up. "I thought we were supposed to be hitting the road soon." She doesn't know exactly what time it is, but she knows they've been stopped for too long. "Well, maybe he's planning on leaving afterwards." She's hoping Hanna won't question this too much. She's pretty good at keeping her cool, but she doesn't want to end up accidentally giving the secret away. The blonde opens her mouth to speak again, but Spencer cuts her off, saying, "The restaurant he was talking about is pretty nice. You should probably start getting ready." Hanna sighs a resigned sigh. "Alright. Tell him I said 'alright'."
With that, Spencer's out the door again. Hanna gets up as well and starts to head downstairs. The bags are still in the car, since they aren't planning on staying long, and she wouldn't dare wear a tee shirt and sweats to a nice restaurant.
Caleb's incredibly nervous. The ring is in his pocket. His long fingers brush up against the little black box every time he tries to protect them from the warmth. He wants, more than anything, to get this over with. He wants to see her reaction. He wants to hear her say yes. He rocks back and forth on his heels as he waits for the maître d' to direct them to their table, despite Hanna's requests for him to come sit next to her. Spencer and Toby are there, sitting on the other side of the room due to lack of space on Hanna's side, for moral support. Caleb's heart beats a little bit faster every time he looks at his future fiancee, and his breath hitches in his throat. How the hell is he supposed to propose if he can't even breathe properly? He feels like he's gonna throw up.
He's about to give in and walk over to her when the words "Rivers, party of four," interrupt his train of thought. Thank goodness. He helps Hanna up, and then turns to follow the server to their booth. He specifically asked for a booth, so that Hanna could slide in and out without having to fiddle with the chair, and so that he could slide out when the right time came. Spencer and Toby slid in first, taking the end closest to the wall to that their friends could have the open end.
The first forty minutes went by quickly. They placed their drink orders, then their appetizer orders, then their entree orders. They talked about Rosewood's goings ons, and the things that Hanna and Caleb had missed while they were away. They talked about Aria and Ezra's impending wedding (which annoyed Hanna, because she still hadn't forgiven Aria for telling people her news), and about Spencer's mom's campaign for the United States Senate. They even talked about the baby for a bit, though Hanna managed to change the subject to something she saw on Buzzfeed pretty soon afterward. They ate, they talked some more.
Then it was time. Caleb swallows thickly, reaching into his pocket for the little black box. He looks at Toby, then at Spencer, then at Hanna, who's looking at her phone. Clearing his throat, he begins to speak. "We should probably go." The blonde looks up from her phone and nods. "I think that's a great idea." Another round of glances. "But before we do, there's something I need to say." Hanna gives him a questioning look. What could he possibly have to say that he couldn't say on the way back to Toby's house? So, he continues. "I care a lot about you, Han. I love you. Sometimes more than I love myself." The questioning look remains. She doesn't know where he's going with this. "You have a heart of gold... and a great head of hair to match. You took me in when I was homeless. I left town to go chase ghosts with another girl, and you loved me anyway. I know I can be a bit... extra... at times, but you're a treasure... A literal treasure, who deserves the very best. You're the mother to my future child, and I... I want you to be my wife too, Hanna. I want to grow old with you. To be with you until the end of time." He gets up and gets down on one knee, reaches into his pocket, and takes out the ring. "So, will you marry me?"
There's a pause, then some sniffles. Spencer and Toby are watching with anticipation, as they await Hanna's response. Caleb's shaking. Literally shaking. "Caleb," Hanna begins, blotting her eyes with her napkin. "Of course I will." She gives him her hand, so that he can slide the diamond ring onto her finger. They're both smiling. Spencer and Toby are smiling. The other restaurant-goers whose attentions were caught by the proposal are smiling; some have even started to clap for the newly-engaged couple. When he stands back up, Hanna gets up to hug him and presses a chaste kiss to his lips. She's given up trying to wipe her tears; they'll flow until they won't. "Let's get out of here for real," he suggests, pulling a fifty dollar bill out of his pocket and setting it down on the table. "I have a few more surprises up my sleeve before the night's over."
Hanna doesn't think anything can top the engagement, but she's excited to see what he has in mind. She grips his hand as they walk out of the restaurant toward the car. Spencer and Toby climb into the back seats, and Caleb and Hanna sit up front. Hanna rests one hand on her bump, and admires the ring on the other one. She feels as if she could stare at it forever. It's the most beautiful piece of jewelry she's ever received. She's so caught up with it that she doesn't notice when Caleb parks the car in Toby's driveway and Toby and Spencer get out. She doesn't notice when he puts the car back in drive and starts to head towards the wooded area they visited on New Year's. She doesn't notice until Caleb pulls a blindfold out of the glove compartment and asks her to put it on. She reluctantly agrees, glancing at the ring one last time before allowing him to place the blindfold over her eyes.
She has half a mind just to yank the blindfold off and peek, but that would ruin the surprise, and she knows Caleb's put a lot of effort into this night. "We're almost there, Han. Just two more minutes." He can't see her, but she's rolling her eyes. A few more minutes pass, and then she hears his voice again. "Alright— Now." She yanks the fabric off of her face before he can even finish the word. She's expecting to see a pretty city, or a cabin with a view, but all she really does see is that house. The one from the listing Caleb showed her last time they were there. "Why are we here?" She knows why they're there. He's gonna try to convince her to move back to Rosewood again. She should've known better.
"Well," he begins, taking the blindfold from her and folding it back up. "It's ours now." He watches as her expression changes from confusion, to rage, to sadness, and then back to rage. He puts a hand up, hoping to calm her, or to put her off long enough to explain. "Ever since your mom mentioned moving back, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It's just... Moving back to Rosewood would be so much easier. We have friends here. Your mother is here. New York is great, but it's lonely, and I hate knowing that we can't come out here to visit without having to drive two hours." Hanna scoffs at that. "Caleb, your job is in New York. If we move back here, you're gonna have to take that two hour drive. It's gonna be a constant back and forth, and... And you won't have me around for the ride every time."
Tears are starting to form in her eyes, and she takes the blindfold back from him to try to dry them. "Actually, no. I won't." Teary blue eyes reflect the look of assurance on the male's face. "What do you mean?" There's a smile now; a smile backed by two parts excitement and one part nervousness. "I got a job in Philly, Han."
Cue the rage again. "Why didn't you tell me you were looking for a job?" His smile fades a bit. He was expecting a reaction like this when he set everything up, but he hadn't realized it would be so intense. Perhaps he should've waited until the morning to make these announcements. "I wanted to surprise you... You said that the only reason you didn't want to move back to Rosewood was the amount of time you would have to spend without me. Now, that problem's non-existent." She sighs. He's right. There's nothing holding them back now. There's nothing preventing them from continuing their lives in Rosewood. "I guess it is." She's quiet for a moment. She needs to think. He tries to go along with the silence, but grows impatient after about thirty seconds. "Do you want to see it?"
She nods. "I... Yeah, I would love to." She unbuckles her seatbelt, and he unbuckles his, and they head towards the house. It's huge compared to their apartment back in New York; that's the first thing Hanna notices about it. He pulls the keys out of his pocket and unlocks the door, pushing it open to reveal what may as well be his fiancee's dream house. She rushes inside, looking first at the kitchen, then at the living room. They're exactly what the advertisement promised and more. She's even more impressed by the second floor. Caleb puts on his best real estate agent voice in an attempt to sell the house to her (or rather, to get her sold on the house). He shows her the guest rooms, and the smaller bathroom, pointing out the same little details the real estate agent did when he took the tour.
He shows her the room that he's hoping to turn into the nursery. It's the biggest out of the smaller rooms, and the one with the best view. The walls are a plain white, just waiting to be painted with whichever colour they settle on, and the floors are waiting to support their child's first bedroom furniture. "I think I might leave this one up to you," he tells her, glancing out the window and then turning back to her. "The whole house, really. I can make it look kind of nice, but you'll make it beautiful." She blushes at that. "I would love that." She has so many ideas for the house. She's been wanting to decorate since they moved to New York, but their landlord put too many restrictions on what they could and couldn't do. But this? This is her house. She can decorate it however she wants to.
"Do you want to see where we'll be sleeping?" Caleb questions, one eyebrow cocked. Hanna nods enthusiastically, following him out of the future nursery and down the hall. His hands grip the doorknob, and he tries his hardest to hype it up. After all, this is where they'll be... sleeping. "Come on! Open it," she begs. He grins, pushing the door open to reveal the room to her. There's already a bed in there; one she recognizes. It's hers from her mother's house. It's her turn to cock an eyebrow. "I should've known my mom was in on this," she comments. He chuckles. "Well, she really wants you to want to stay." She looks at him for a moment, and then wraps her arms around him. "I want to stay too." He leans down to kiss her. This kiss is much deeper than the one they shared in the restaurant. There's no one watching them this time, and they take advantage of that. "I love you so much," she mumbles against his lips. "I love you too." He breaks the kiss, only to pepper her neck with pecks instead. "I love you more," she counters, gently pushing against his torso, trying to get him to move backwards towards the bed. He takes the hint, taking cautious steps until he could feel his legs touch the bed. "I love you most," he whispers, sitting down and pulling her down to sit with him. "Mrs. Rivers."
Author's note: I've been planning this for so long, and I'm so glad it's finally written out! I hope you guys enjoy it, especially you Haleb shippers out there who aren't happy with what's going on on the show. As always, reviews and plot suggestions are greatly appreciated! Again, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter.