It wasn't at first sight

by ByAllegra

What happens when Hanna loses her dog and Caleb finds it? This is a HALEB AU story. Hanna will have to deal with the asshole who kept her dog for a year. Caleb will have to deal with the beautiful but crazy girl who doesn't stop yelling at him, and who also happens to be the actual owner of "his" dog. Of course it won't be long until they change their minds and fall for each other.

61. Chapter 61

That Friday evening, Hanna arrives at the lake house after a couple of hours on the road. She parks her car next to Emily's and heads for the house, meeting Spencer and Finn on her way.

Spencer "Hey, Finnie, look who's here!"

Spencer is holding Finn's hand, helping him maintain his balance.

Hanna "Hi, Finnie!" She grins while approaching them. "How's my favorite nephew doing?"

Finn smiles widely and starts taking steps toward her, sloppy steps, as he is learning to walk and on top of that, his excitement to see Hanna makes him want to walk faster.

Spencer "Hey, easy there, little one!" She chuckles, taking his other hand as well to help him better. "You still haven't learnt how to walk, and you want to run already."

Hanna "Can't believe he's learning to walk already." She tells Spencer. "Hi, baby!" She greets the baby again, crouching down to wait for him.

Finn finally reaches Hanna, and Spencer lets go of his little hands as Hanna pulls him into a hug.

Hanna "Good job, Finnie!" She congratulates the baby with excitement. "Happy birthday, my sweet baby." She plants several kisses on the baby's chubby cheek. "I can't handle how adorable he looks in this winter onesie." She tells Spencer while standing up with Finn in her arms. "He looks like a teddy bear, all bundled up." She adds, adjusting his baby beanie.

Spencer smiles. "Yeah, Aria and Ezra got him the onesie. We were just trying it on, right Finnie?" She strokes Finn's cheek. "Let's go inside, we were waiting for you!" She tells Hanna.

Hanna puts Finn down back on his feet and attempts to take his hand to help him walk back to the house, but the baby extends his little arms toward her, asking to be carried again.

Hanna smiles tenderly and picks him up again.

Spencer chuckles. "He's going to stick to you for the rest of the day… maybe the whole weekend."

Hanna "I don't have a problem with that." She kisses Finn's cheek again. "We just love each other too much." She says as they head to the house.

Spencer smiles. "Yeah, well, I know someone who might have a problem with it." She jokes.

Hanna smiles too. "Is he here already?"

Spencer. "Yep, everyone's here already." She tells Hanna as she opens the door for them.

Hanna steps inside with Finn, and then Spencer closes the door behind her.

Hanna "Hi, everyone!" She greets the girls and Ezra that are hanging out there in the living room.

They greet her back as Spencer takes Finn from her arms.

Spencer "Let's unbundle you a little, baby." She takes off his beanie. "Caleb's in the kitchen with Toby." She lets Hanna know while unzipping Finn's onesie.

Hanna takes off her jacket and is about to head for the kitchen, but Chocolate shows up in there after hearing her voice, happily wagging his tail, but greeting her noticeably much more calmly than usual.

Hanna grins. "Hi, buddy!" She takes his huge head in her hands and places a kiss on top of it. "I'm so happy to see you." She strokes his ears.

Spencer "He's a bit drained from all the attention Finn has been giving him today." She explains.

Hanna chuckles and pets him on the head once more before finally heading for the kitchen.

Hanna "Hey there, handsome dudes." She greets Toby and Caleb playfully.

They both turn to her with a smile on their faces.

Toby "Hey there, the celebrity of fashion! You got quite attention at my wedding."

Hanna chuckles.

Toby "Thank you very much for Spencer's dress, Han… She was just flawless."

Caleb leaves what he's doing and approaches her.

Hanna "You are very welcome." She says as Caleb wraps his arms around her waist. "And I also made sure that it was very easy to take off." She adds, wrapping her arms around Caleb's neck for a hug.

Toby chuckles. "Yeah, thanks for that one too, Han."

Hanna "Hi, baby." She greets Caleb again, squeezing him tighter.

Caleb "Hi, love."

Hanna smiles widely and pulls a little back to look at him. "Help me with my suitcase?"

Caleb "Sure."

Hanna gives him a tender kiss, and then they break their embrace.

Caleb "Be right back." He tells Toby while following Hanna back to the living room and then outside.

Hanna "Did you take care of Finnie's present?" She asks him as they walk toward her car.

Caleb "Of course I did. I was waiting for you to give it to him together." He offers his hand to her.

Hanna smiles and takes his hand. "Great! What did you get him?"

Caleb "I went to the toy store with the idea of getting him an interactive toy, but I saw something else that I'm sure he's going to love… you'll see."

Hanna "I just hope you got him something according to his age."

Caleb laughs. "Yeah, don't worry. I didn't get him a toy electric car."

They reach Hanna's car and she opens the truck.

Caleb "All these just for the weekend?" He asks taking her very heavy suitcase from the truck.

Hanna "Yeah, winter's clothes. You know how they are… heavier and take up more space." She chuckles.

They head back inside.

Caleb "I'll go take this to our room and bring Finnie's present."

Hanna nods and pecks his lips before sitting on the couch next to Alison, joining the girls as Ezra is no longer there.

Finn spots her and crawls right to her.

Hanna picks him up, settling him on her lap.

Spencer "Told you."

Hanna smiles.

Alison hands Finn a toy from the coffee table. "Here, Finnie. You got your frog back now that Lily's gone." She chuckles. "Poor baby, we got that toy for him, but Lily took over and didn't even let him play with it."

Finn takes the toy and starts pressing buttons that make different sounds.

Hanna "Where is she?" She asks Alison, seeing that Emily has the other twin in her arms.

Alison "Ezra took her to the kitchen with the guys."

Hanna "Oh, he's practicing his daddy skills." She says and looks at Aria.

Aria smiles. "He doesn't need to, he's a natural."

Hanna smiles back.

Emily "So, Caleb's going to New York with you, huh?" She tells Hanna.

Hanna grins. "Yeah! He got us a place to stay yesterday, so we are going back to New York right from here on Sunday… well, we actually have to drop Chocolate off at my mom's before, but we are leaving right from there."

Spencer "Oh, Toby and I can drop him off so you don't have to go all the way back to Rosewood just for that."

Hanna "You sure?"

Spencer "Yeah, it's not a problem at all."

Hanna "Great, thanks!"

Caleb shows up back downstairs, carrying a quite large present in his hands.

Caleb "Look Finnie! Auntie Hanna and I got you a present as well."

Finn looks up to Caleb with wide eyes.

Caleb places the strangely shaped package, wrapped in very colorful gift paper, on the floor.

Hanna puts the baby back on the floor, but he simply stares at the present for a couple of seconds, not knowing exactly what to do, and then looks at Spencer, seeking reassurance from his mom on what to do next.

Spencer "Need some help, Finnie?" She approaches him. "Here." She says, tearing open the gift paper a little.

Finn looks at Hanna now.

Hanna smiles at him, and kneeling down on the floor she joins Spencer in opening the present.

Caleb "I think we intimidated him a little with such a huge present." He chuckles.

Alison "Yeah, it's bigger than him." She smiles.

Spencer and Hanna finish unwrapping the present, revealing a huge stuffed brown dog that looks pretty much like Chocolate, but luckily not as giant.

Spencer "Look, Finnie! You've got your own pup!"

Finn's face finally lights up with a huge smile as he gets closer to the stuffed animal.

Caleb "Here, Finnie." He presses the dog's nose, and it barks.

Finn giggles and lifts his little leg, trying to climb onto the dog.

Spencer "Chocolate will be happy to have a substitute." She jokes.

Emily "Yeah, totally. Poor animal." She looks at Chocolate who is taking a nap nearby.

Caleb "I just hope he doesn't try to press Chocolate's nose for a bark later."

Hanna chuckles. "We will have to keep an eye on him."

Toby and Ezra come from the kitchen and Toby notices Finn's new toy.

Toby "Oh, what do you've got there, son?" He says, approaching the baby.

Finn smiles at Toby and wraps his little arms around the neck of the dog.

Hanna stands up from the floor and approaches Caleb. "Great choice, baby." She whispers into his ear and places a tender kiss on his mouth.

Caleb smiles and rests an arm over her shoulders, giving her a squeeze in that spot.

Toby "Alright, everyone! The pizza's still warming up, but let's kick off the feast with the appetizers. Let's move to the dining area."

Spencer "Why don't we blow out the candles before the pizza is ready? Finnie won't last awake much longer, and I want to take some pics."

Alison "Yeah, the twins will get cranky soon too."

Toby "Okay, I'll just go get the cake then."

Spencer and Hanna head to the table, swiftly clearing space for the cake by moving aside the delicious appetizers prepared by Toby and Caleb: mini sliders, stuffed mushrooms, guacamole with chips, and other snacks.

Spencer "The photographer sent us the pictures of the wedding a couple of days ago, Han… there are some really cute ones of you and Caleb."

Hanna "Oh, I wanna see them!"

Spencer "Yeah, I brought my computer to see all the pictures with the guys later."

Hanna "Great!"

Toby enters with the cake and places it on the table. It's a colorful cake adorned with baby dinosaurs.

As the group gathers around, Spencer playfully places birthday hats on the babies' heads.

Toby lights the candle and lifts Finn into his arms.

As the group begins to sing, Finn gazes around with wide-eyed fascination. His gaze shifts between the colorful cake and the candle to the familiar faces surrounding him. Although he may not fully grasp the occasion, his joy is evident to everyone.

Before the song finishes, Finn reaches for the cake, grabbing a fistful and causing laughter among the adults.

He looks to his mom, seeking approval, since Spencer's been trying to teach him not to put everything right in his mouth.

Spencer chuckles. "Yes, baby, you can eat that."

With a wide smile, Finn eagerly shoves the handful of cake into his mouth.

Hanna laughs. "He's so well-behaved. I love him so much."

Aria "He's absolutely adorable."

Spencer "Okay, let's take some pics." She says, trying to wipe Finn's mouth with a napkin.

After taking several pictures, Toby returns the cake to the fridge, and they finally sit at the table to start enjoying the food. Spencer places Finn in his stroller, where he takes his bottle by himself and falls asleep shortly after. Emily and Alison, on the other hand, struggle a bit longer with the twins. It takes them some time to put the babies to sleep, especially Lily. Emily even leaves the dining room to go to the living room, pacing around with Lily until she drifts off to sleep. Then, she returns to the table to eat her pizza, which has cooled down a bit.

Spencer "Want me to heat it up a little?" She offers.

Emily "Nah, it's fine. I got used to eat my meals cold." She chuckles. "The sacrifices we make for these tiny humans, right?"

Having finished their meal, Hanna rises from her chair with a clear intention to shift to Caleb's lap. He happily slides his chair back, making room for her. Hanna settles onto his lap, draping her arm over his shoulders. Caleb smiles and pecks her lips while holding her by the waist.

Aria "I'm glad everything's back to normal." She smiles at Hanna and Caleb. "Feels good, being all together again."

Spencer "You sure you two don't want to stay the night, Ari?"

Aria nods. "Yeah, I'm sure. I've been having trouble sleeping, and my back hurts. I need my special pillows… and, well, some other things I'm not sharing with all of you." She chuckles. "I just need to go home."

Spencer nods.

Ezra reaches out and places his hand on Aria's baby bump. "Wanna get going now?"

Aria shakes her head. "Let's stay a little longer." She places her hand on top of Ezra's.

Ezra nods. "Just let me know."

Hanna "I'm so happy we are meeting that little one in less than a month… We should make a bet on the sex. I'm sure it's a girl."

Spencer "Yeah, I think it's a girl too."

Toby "I'll go for a boy. Finn needs a buddy. I'm sure those twins of yours will boss him around, well, they already do, and they don't even speak yet." She looks at Alison and Emily.

Alison chuckles. "It's not their fault that your baby is the easygoing one in the group. Anyway, I think it's a boy too."

Emily "Well, the girls are starting to show their personalities already." She says, agreeing with Toby a little. "Especially Lily, she even bosses me around." She laughs. "But I think Aria is having a girl."

Aria "What about you, Caleb? Boy or girl?" She asks him, as he's the only one left.

Caleb "I really don't know…"

Hanna chuckles. "None of us knows, babe. That's the point."

Caleb "Boy, then. Just to make things tight."

Hanna "Good, three for a girl, three for a boy… what are we betting for?"

Alison smirks. "I don't know, but I think it's very interesting that none of the couples coincided. You said girl, Caleb said boy, I said boy, Em said girl, Spence said girl, and Toby said boy... maybe we could have the losers do something spicy for the winners…"

Aria "No way, I'm not letting you turn an innocent bet on the sex of my baby into some sort of sexual game between you."

Everyone laughs.

Hanna "She's totally right, Ali. Let's find another option."

Aria "I know what I want." She grins mischievously.

Alison "What?"

Aria "The losing team is taking care of organizing our little one's first birthday party."

Hanna smiles. "Sure, no problem."

Emily "Yeah, that's something we can do."

Toby narrows his eyes. "What's the catch there?" He asks, suspiciously. "It's over a year away."

Aria chuckles. "Nothing, it's just something less for my mother-in-law to criticize me for." She looks at Ezra. "I'm sorry babe, but she's-"

Ezra "A pain in the ass, I know." He says, finishing her sentence.

Everyone laughs again.

Hanna grins. "Alright, we've got ourselves a deal. Losers take charge of the little one's first birthday bash."

Aria nods in satisfaction. "Perfect. Just keep it classy, okay?"

Alison smirks. "Oh, don't worry. Classy it is. Emily will make sure of it when she loses." She playfully says and kisses Emily's cheek.

After an extended post-dinner conversation filled with jokes, teasing, and laughter, Spencer and Hanna clear the table and Alison offers to do the dishes, considering the guys handled the cooking, Ezra and Aria take their leave, and Emily and Toby take the babies upstairs to their portable cribs.

With everything tidied up, Spencer, Hanna, Alison, and Emily settle comfortably on the couch. Spencer takes the central spot with her laptop on her lap, ready to show them the wedding pictures.

Spencer "Okay, here we go… I'll breeze through them quickly and pause on the ones you guys are in. I've seen them all already and I doubt you want to watch them all. They are like a million."

Alison "Yeah, I'm not interested in watching pictures of all your mother's political colleagues, or your parents' friends from the club, or the grandmother of Melissa's ex-boyfriend, or-"

Hanna "We got it, Ali." She interrupts her.

Emily "Can you copy them to another folder as we go? I mean, the ones we are in, so you can send them to us later."

Spencer "Of course, let's separate the ones you want."

Hanna "Great! I'll want my pics with Caleb."

Spencer "Okay, here we go!" She says and starts passing the pictures.

A few minutes later, Caleb shows up over there.

Caleb "Anyone want a beer?" He offers a couple of cans, standing behind the couch where they are seated.

Alison "I'll take one."

Caleb hands her one of the cans.

Alison "Thanks!"

Caleb "Anyone else?"

Hanna briefly lifts her gaze from Spencer's laptop. "We are fine, babe."

Caleb "Okay."

He cracks open the other can and takes a few sips before resting his hand on Hanna's shoulder.

Hanna "Wanna see the pictures too? I can make you some room here." She offers.

Caleb gives her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. "Not really." He chuckles, indifferent to the pictures. "Toby and I are taking Chocolate for a walk now. Just show me our pictures later."

Hanna nods and focuses her attention back on Spencer's computer.

Alison "Wait! That's the guy who tried to pick Emily up." She says, pointing to him in the picture, and chuckles.

Emily "He ran away when I mentioned the twins." She smiles amused. "They are perfect to scare off players."

Spencer "Oh, that's Christian… Son of a senator."

Hanna "Come on, Em, give him credit. Have you seen his physique? Clearly, he puts in some serious gym time. He looks like good material for a wedding hook-up." She teases.

"Hey!" Caleb and Alison protest at the same time.

Hanna laughs. "Just kidding, guys." She looks up to Caleb again. "You are the only one I would hook up with." She shoots him a smile.

Caleb smiles back and gives her another squeeze on her shoulder.

Alison "Technically, you can't hook up with someone you are already in a relationship with."

Hanna "Well, he got the point anyway." She tells Alison while refocusing on the pics.

Toby shows up there too, and Caleb calls for Chocolate, who is napping nearby.

Caleb "Come on, buddy. Let's go for a walk."

Hanna "Make sure he doesn't go for a swim in the lake, babe. It's freezing."

Caleb "Yeah, I'm leashing him." He tells her while handing Toby the can of beer.

/

Later on, the guys return from their walk with Chocolate and find the girls still immersed in the wedding pictures.

Hanna "Oh, babe! You have to see our pictures! They are beautiful!" She tells Caleb right away as he unleashes Chocolate.

Caleb walks over to her and, standing before her, offers his hand.

Hanna "We aren't done yet."

Caleb "Please, babe." He insists.

Hanna smiles at his sweet insistence and gives in, taking his hand, having already seen the best pictures anyway.

Caleb leads her to one of the armchairs and sits down, pulling her onto his lap.

Caleb "I just needed this." He says, wrapping both arms around her waist.

Hanna wraps one arm around his neck and cups his face with her other hand, initiating a kiss right away. A tender one, as she kisses him softly, caressing his lips with hers.

Hanna "Your face is freezing cold, baby." She tells him after pulling back from his mouth. She takes her other hand to his face and starts rubbing both of her thumbs against his cheeks, warming him up.

Caleb nods. "Yeah… I think it might snow again."

Hanna "Speaking of snow… I have to ask you something." Still caressing his face.

Caleb "I'm all ears, shoot." He starts to stroke her lower back too.

Hanna looks down, avoiding his gaze. "You can say no, and everything will be completely fine. I'm not even sure about this myself, so-"

Caleb "Han, just ask me." He grins.

Hanna "Remember that I told you I wanted to introduce you to my dad?" She looks at him now.

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Well, I called him yesterday… we didn't speak much because he was busy, but… he invited us to spend Christmas with them."

Caleb "Sure, Han."

Hanna "Just like that?" She asks, a bit surprised.

Caleb "Yeah, why not? I never cared too much about the holidays anyway… I just want to spend Christmas with you."

Hanna smiles tenderly at his nice comment. "Yeah, but… maybe a family meeting is too much to start with. I mean, Isabel, Kate, her husband, their kid, and even Isabel's mother might be there too…"

Caleb chuckles. "Are you trying to convince me to say no so you have an excuse to say no to your dad?"

Hanna smiles amused. "It's not like that… it's just… I told you, I'm not even sure about this myself. But my dad mentioned my grandma is coming too… and I do want you to meet her. She's the best. Anyway, I know that spending Christmas all together maybe is too much… it is for me, and they are… my family." She chuckles. "So… whatever you decide, I'm okay with it."

Caleb "I'm in, Han."

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb smiles. "I'm sure."

Hanna "Okay, I'll text my dad to let him know, then." She takes her phone. "This is your last chance to change your mind."

Caleb "I'm not changing my mind, you are the one having second thoughts here."

Hanna laughs. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm texting my dad right now before I change my mind."

Caleb grins and places a tender kiss on her cheek as she types on her phone.

Spencer "Okay, let's cut the cake." She says, standing up from the couch and putting her laptop away. "Anyone want some tea?"

Emily "Yeah, I could use some tea… I'm starting to get a bit cold."

Hanna "Me too."

Alison "I'll help you." She says, standing up from the couch too.

Toby "So… you are taking my business partner away with you…" He says to Hanna as he flops down on the couch next to Emily.

Hanna "He was my boyfriend before he was your partner." She smiles and caresses Caleb's hair.

Toby "He was already my buddy back when you hated him, remember?"

Hanna chuckles. "Yeah, I did hate him a little." She admits. "He was so fucking annoying." She uses her fingers to playfully pucker Caleb's lips before planting a peck on them. "But still, I love him now and I'm taking him with me to New York, so deal with it." She gives Toby a cocky smile.

Toby smirks. "Fair enough." He just says.

Emily "Just come back soon, guys. I'll miss you at the office, Caleb… and you, Han, you already know how much I've missed you these last months…"

Hanna "We will… Just a month, Em."

Caleb "We are spending the weekends in Rosewood anyway, guys… so it's almost the same."

Toby "So, where are you staying in New York?"

Caleb "I got us an apartment only two blocks away from Lucas'."

Spencer and Alison return shortly after with the cake and the tea, and they all stay up, hanging out until about 3 in the morning when one of the twin's whimpering starts to come through the baby monitor. Emily and Alison take it as their cue to leave for their room. Toby and Spencer stay a little longer but then decide to call it a day and go to sleep as well.

Spencer "Night, guys!" She says while heading for the stairs.

Toby "Keep it quiet you guys, there are kids in the house." He playfully warns them while following Spencer.

Caleb grins mischievously at Toby. "Well, Toby, some of us still enjoy the perks of a kid-free life. Maybe you're just a bit jealous of our unlimited freedom, huh?"

Hanna laughs. "Nice comeback, babe."

Toby chuckles, and halfway through the stairs, he turns back to look at them. "Yeah, sure… enjoy yourselves guys, I don't think you'll take too much longer to join the not-sleep-at-night club, and the change-a-million-diapers-a-day club, oh, and also the having-sex-only-twice-a-month club, and I'll get to laugh at you then." He fires back and leaves.

Hanna "Only twice a month?" She asks, a bit worried.

Caleb laughs. "I'm sure he was just joking."

Hanna "I hope so." She says while standing up from Caleb's lap.

Caleb "Where are you going?"

Hanna grabs a blanket from the couch. "I'm getting cold." She walks back to Caleb, making herself comfortable on his lap, and covers both of them with the blanket.

Caleb "Don't worry, you won't be cold anymore in a little while." He playfully says, sliding his hand underneath her two layers of clothes and placing it on her back, caressing her right on her skin.

Hanna smirks. "Oh, you've got something in mind?" She asks, playing along.

Caleb "Many things…"

Hanna smiles again and rests her forehead against his. "Well, me too, baby." She takes both of her hands to his belt.

Caleb takes her face in his hands and starts a deep kiss as Hanna works on his belt.

/

The next day is just as cold as the previous one, prompting them to spend most of their time indoors. Hanna and Caleb use the opportunity for a walk with Chocolate, while Spencer and Toby take advantage of the picturesque lake landscape to capture some photos of Finn, but that's all the outdoor activities they do. In the afternoon, Caleb prepares waffles, and they enjoy them with coffee while Spencer beats Toby in Scrabble and Hanna spends quality time playing with Finn and the twins. In the evening, Alison and Emily take charge of making dinner for everyone, while Spencer prepares something special for the babies.

Now, Hanna is finishing with the dishes after dinner.

Hanna "Here, this is the last one." She hands the last dish to Spencer, who is drying them with a kitchen towel and putting them away in the cabinets.

Spencer "I should get a dishwasher."

Hanna "No, I think it's actually nice coming here and not having a dishwasher, a TV, or Wi-Fi... it's just peaceful... even doing the dishes." She chuckles.

They go back to the living room.

Hanna "Where are the guys?" She asks, only finding Alison and Emily with the three babies.

Alison "They went to get more firewood for the fireplace."

Hanna "Oh." She simply says while sitting cross-legged on the babies' blanket on the floor.

Alison and Spencer exchange a knowing look.

Hanna "Come with your auntie, Gracie." She takes the baby in her arms and hugs her for a moment before seating her on her legs and handing her a toy. "Here, Gracie."

Finn crawls over to Hanna and grabs onto her clothes, pulling himself up to stand on his feet.

Hanna laughs. "Hey there, my sweet boy!" With Grace in one arm, she uses the other to hug Finn. "Can I have a kiss?" She leans down slightly.

Finn places a very tender wet kiss on Hanna's cheek.

Emily "Aw, he's so sweet."

Hanna chuckles. "Thank you, Finnie. I have a kiss for you too." She places a kiss on his cheek as well.

Finn yawns and rests his head against Hanna's arm.

Spencer "I should probably prepare his bottle… Can you watch him, Han?"

Hanna "Sure."

Alison "Hold on, I have to take a picture of you." She says, taking her phone.

Emily "Wait, let's move Lily closer." She takes Lily and seats her right next to Hanna so she is in the picture as well.

Hanna "I wish I had more hands." She jokes.

Alison "Here, Finnie, look at me, baby."

Emily "Hey, girls! Look at mommy!"

They say, trying to draw their attention.

Alison "Okay, I got it!"

Emily takes a look at it. "So cute!"

Finn starts trying to climb onto Hanna as well, right where Grace is seated.

Emily chuckles. "Let me take Gracie." She takes the baby from Hanna's arm and seats her back on the blanket next to Lily.

Hanna "Thanks." She says while taking Finn in her arms. "The little guy needs a couple of arms to crash." She kisses Finn's head, settling him comfortably against herself. The baby rests his head on Hanna's shoulder. "I don't think he'll stay awake until Spence comes back with his bottle." She says, caressing his hair.

Emily "Don't let him fall asleep before taking his bottle. I know how it goes, he'll wake up hungry in a little while, and after having his bottle, he'll be as fresh as a daisy after his nap. Spencer won't be able to put him back to sleep until like 5 in the morning."

Alison "Yeah, never let a baby fall asleep with an empty stomach. We've learned it the worst way."

Emily "Yeah."

Hanna stands up right away, with Finn in her arms. "Okay, Finnie, don't fall asleep, baby." She looks around the place and spots the stuffed dog that Caleb got him. "Look, there's your pup!"

Hanna manages to keep Finn awake until Spencer returns with his warm bottle ready for him.

Spencer "Thanks, Han!" She says while taking Finn from her arms.

Hanna "Anytime, Spence."

Spencer sits down on the couch with her baby in her arms and puts the bottle in his mouth, which he grabs himself right away.

Hanna "Why are the guys taking too long?"

Alison shrugs. "Must have gotten distracted with something else, you know how guys are."

Hanna "I'll go with them." She says, grabbing her jacket.

Emily "What? No! Stay here with us."

Hanna "I just want to make sure Chocolate doesn't get in the water."

Emily "Caleb leashed him."

Hanna "Okay, I still wanna go."

Alison approaches Hanna and takes her jacket. "Leave Caleb alone… you've been all over each other since you got here. It won't hurt him to have some guy time with Toby. Don't suffocate him."

Hanna "Okay, fine!" She says, a bit annoyed. "We've been apart long enough. I just wanted to go with him, that's all." She sits down next to Spencer. "You don't need to be so blunt, Alison."

Spencer "Does anyone want some birthday cake? Leftovers are in the fridge." She offers, trying to cut through the awkward moment.

Hanna "No, thanks." She only says, still annoyed.

Alison "I'll just go prepare the twins' bottles too."

Around half an hour later, Caleb and Toby show up, without a single piece of firewood. However, as Hanna is still not in her best mood, she doesn't even notice that detail.

Toby "Oh, he's zonked out." He comments, seeing that Finn is sound asleep in Spencer's arms.

Spencer "Yeah, he played so much today, all the excitement must have worn him out. Too many emotions in one day."

Toby leans down and caresses his son's hair gently.

Caleb "Hey, wanna go for a walk with me?" He tells Hanna, standing in front of her.

Hanna "We already went for a walk with Chocolate today."

Caleb "Yeah, I know, but… just the two of us…"

All eyes suddenly turn to Hanna now, with some expectation.

Hanna "I really don't feel like going for a walk right now… besides, it's below freezing outside."

Caleb chuckles. "It's not that bad, I promise."

Hanna finally stands up from the couch, and Caleb smiles, thinking that she'll go with him, but not quite.

Hanna "Maybe later." She just says and heads for the bathroom.

Alison "Don't worry, I've got this." She tells Caleb and puts Lily, who is asleep too, in her stroller.

Alison waits until Hanna comes out from the bathroom and interjects her.

Alison "Hey, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I had no right to get into your business."

Hanna only stares at her, still a bit pissed off.

Alison "Just go with him already." She hands Hanna her jacket.

Hanna takes her jacket. "You should keep your thoughts to yourself sometimes, Ali. Caleb and I just got back together, and you just made me feel unsure with your stupid comment." She tells her, putting the jacket on.

Alison "I'm sorry, I was wrong, okay? Just go for a walk with the poor guy already."

Hanna adjusts her jacket and walks over to Caleb.

Caleb smiles at her while grabbing his coat as well. "Let's go." He says, putting it on.

They go outside, and Caleb takes her hand as they start walking.

Caleb "You okay?"

Hanna nods.

As they keep walking away from the house, it gets darker, so Caleb turns on the flashlight on his phone.

Caleb "You are too quiet." He says, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

Hanna "I'm okay." She forces a smile for him and wraps her arm around his lower back.

Caleb "I know it's too cold, thanks for coming with me." He says while rubbing his hand up and down on her arm.

Hanna "Yeah! Why on earth were you so eager to go out in this cold? Besides, you've already been outside with Toby for too long."

Caleb smiles. "You'll see."

Hanna "Are we going somewhere?" She asks, as Caleb appears to be leading her somewhere.

Caleb "Yeah, just a nice spot I saw earlier." He lies. "We're almost there."

Hanna simply nods, still not getting the need of going out at night with that cold weather, but choosing not to complain anymore, not to be so whiny.

Hanna "Is that fire?" She asks, a bit surprised, at seeing what seems to be the light of a fire close by.

Caleb "Yeah."

Hanna "Shouldn't we call the fire station?"

Caleb chuckles. "Seems like just a bonfire, Han."

Hanna lets it go and just keeps walking in silence until they reach the place where the small bonfire is.

Hanna "Didn't know people camped here." She comments, surprised to also find a little tent next to the bonfire.

Caleb grins and stops walking. "Actually, Han… this is our tent." He releases her from his grip.

Hanna looks at him, confused.

Caleb "I just wanted to spend a special night with you out here."

Hanna smiles widely. "Really? You prepared this yourself? Just for us?"

Caleb smiles too. "Toby helped. This is what we were up to… and I've also got a little help from the girls, keeping you in the house." He chuckles.

Hanna "Oh, god… I owe Ali an apology."

Caleb "What happened?"

Hanna "Nothing, I kind of got mad at her." She chuckles. "I'll apologize later." She says and turns back to the bonfire and the tent. "I can't believe you made this."

Caleb wraps his arms around her waist from behind and smiles, his breath creating a small cloud in the cold night air. "I just wanted tonight to be special for us." He repeats.

Hanna turns to face him, she can see his eyes reflecting the flickering light of the bonfire. "It's more than special, Caleb. I love it."

Caleb leans in, brushing his lips against hers. "I'm glad you love it." He places his hands on each side of her waist and pecks her lips.

Hanna "Why tonight, though? Am I missing something?" She narrows her eyes in playful suspicion while placing her hands on his shoulders. "Oh! Did I forget any special date for us?" She asks, panicking a little. "It can't be... we met in summer…"

Caleb chuckles. "Don't worry, you didn't forget about anything."

Hanna "So?" She presses on, curiosity evident in her expression.

Caleb "Stop with the questions already." He slides his hands down to her back, pulling her closer. "I love you, that's the only reason for this you need to know for now." Leaning in, he initiates another kiss.

Hanna shifts her hands from his shoulders to his neck, one of them trailing down to his nape and then up, delicately grazing his hair.

Caleb brings one of his hands to her face and gently shifts his head, deepening the kiss that lasts for a couple more minutes.

Hanna "Let's move closer to the fire, babe. I'm getting cold."

Caleb nods, and together they settle on a fallen tree trunk that Toby placed in front of the bonfire earlier.

Hanna "I'm realizing I'm falling short here…" She suddenly comments as Caleb hugs her from the side.

Caleb chuckles. "How so?"

Hanna "You've improvised that very romantic plan for us after the wedding, then you planned our night at the Radley, you prepared that homemade meal for me at home the other day, and now this…" She takes his hand and smiles. "I'll have to rise to the occasion here."

Caleb grins. "You are taking me to that Christmas dinner, aren't you?"

Hanna laughs. "Yeah, about that… please let's not count that on my list… I'm a little nervous about how it could turn out. I'll think of some other way to meet the romantic standards set by you."

Caleb smiles again. "I think that this was very romantic of you." He tells her, grabbing her hand in his and gently separating her fingers with his thumb, exposing her ring finger with the tiny tattoo on the side.

Hanna "I told you I got it for Chocolate."

Caleb "Well, that's a pity."

Hanna chuckles. "Why? He's my dog."

Caleb "Yeah, well… I happened to have something that could match it pretty well, but…"

Hanna laughs. "Oh my god! You've got a tattoo too?" She asks and grabs his hand, looking for an "H" on his ring finger.

Caleb "Not quite…" He says and stands up, then he offers his hand to her.

Hanna takes his hand and stands up as well. Then she notices Caleb looking for something in the pocket of his coat.

Hanna "Oh, my god! You aren't…" She smiles and covers her mouth in surprise. "This is actually happening?" She looks at Caleb's face again and meets his huge smile.

Caleb gets down on his knee, and Hanna's smile grows even wider.

Caleb "Will you marry me, Han?" He finally shows her a beautiful ring.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she crouches down, wraps her arms around Caleb, and hugs him tightly.

Hanna "Of course I will, baby." A couple of tears of joy roll down her cheeks already. "I love you so much."

Caleb "I love you." He says, rubbing his hands on her back.

They stand up after a couple of minutes, and Caleb grabs her hand, gently sliding the ring onto her finger.

Hanna smiles and watches it. It's just perfect: the diamond ring, and right above it, on the side of her finger, that little "C." She had pictured it when she got that tattoo some weeks ago, but she never imagined it would become real so soon.

Hanna "You were right, this ring matches my "C" perfectly." She says and looks up at Caleb.

Caleb smiles. "Now, would you already admit that you got it for me, please?"

Hanna chuckles. "You know that."

Caleb "Yeah, but I'd like to hear you say it."

Hanna smiles while taking his hands. "I've got that little 'C' for you, Caleb. Because you are my love, and I had this strong need to feel you close when we weren't. Because I knew the whole time we would find our way back to each other. Because I've never been so much in love in my entire life. Because I just love you way more than I can tell you or show you."

Caleb is the one with glassy eyes now. "I've got you that ring for pretty much the same reasons, and I had this whole speech in my mind to tell you why I want to marry you so bad, you know? But you just said it better than me." He lets go of one of her hands to take his to her face. "You are my everything, Han." He starts rubbing his thumb against her cheek.

Hanna takes both of her hands to his face and gently pulls him into a kiss, a very romantic one that seals that perfect moment. Caleb's free hand moves to her lower back, keeping her close as he kisses her back. He can feel the warmth of the fire on one side of his body and the cold of that almost-winter night on the other as they kiss. He gently guides her body, making her turn a little so her back is fully to the bonfire now, trying to keep her warm, and that lovely gesture from him causes Hanna to feel the need to kiss him harder.

Hanna "Let's get in the tent." She tells him after a while, needing more physical closeness.

Caleb nods and takes her hand, leading the few steps up to the tent.

Hanna "I can't believe you had this all planned." She says, making herself comfortable on the blankets, resting her head on a pillow as Caleb zips the tent closed.

Caleb chuckles while turning on a lantern and placing it aside. "You've got no idea how much I was praying that it didn't snow tonight." He lies down next to her.

Hanna smiles. "And I almost ruined it anyway by not wanting to come with you for a walk." She turns to her side and reaches out to caress his hair.

Caleb "I was this close." He gestures it with his hand. "To take you and carry you all the way here myself… thank god Ali helped." He gets closer, facing her, and places his hand on the side of her thigh.

Hanna gets even closer, placing her hand on his shoulder. She pushes him back, getting on top of him. "I'm running out of ways to tell you how much I love you, you know?" she says, placing a very hot kiss on his mouth, licking his lips. "So… I'll just try to show you."

Caleb's hands find their place on her waist as Hanna reconnects their lips, making the kiss passionate right from the start. She takes one of her hands down to his crotch, feeling through his pants how much he wants her already.

Sitting up and straddling him, she starts undoing his belt. The look in Caleb's eyes reflects his anticipation. Once Hanna is done with his belt and also with his zip, she pulls his pants down a little, along with his underwear, Caleb lifting his body a little to help her. But then, to Caleb's surprise, she starts rubbing the palm of her hands up and down against her own thighs.

Caleb laughs. "What are you doing?"

Hanna chuckles. "Just warming up my hands, they are too cold, and… I just don't want to grab you with my freezing hands." She explains.

Caleb smiles and takes her hands in his. "Don't worry babe… probably half the blood in my body is already down there." He takes both of her hands right where he wants them. "Won't get cold."

Hanna grins and starts stroking him gently, getting a gasp from him. "I'll keep this in mind next time I need to warm up my hands." She jokes, feeling the warmth of his length in her hands.

Caleb would have laughed at her joke if it weren't for the fact that his mind is a million miles away, enjoying the pleasure of her touch.

Continuing with the perfectly paced movement with one hand, Hanna places her other hand on the blanket next to Caleb for steadiness and leans forward, looking for his mouth again.

Hanna "Feels good?" She asks, pausing the wet kiss for a moment.

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Better than when you did it yourself these last months? Thinking about me?"

Caleb lets out a deep breath. "Way better, babe."

Hanna "Good." She smiles proudly.

Caleb "What about you?" He asks, almost out of breath. "Did you think of me too?"

Hanna "Uh huh." She says, kissing his neck now. "Many times, actually." She nips on his skin softly.

Caleb takes his hand down and unbuttons her jeans, unzipping them while sliding his hand inside, underneath her panties. Hanna lifts her body a little from his, allowing him better access.

Caleb "You are pretty warm yourself here, huh?" He comments, while rubbing her gently.

Hanna "Huh…" She only says, closing her eyes.

Hanna goes back to kissing him as they both enjoy each other's gentle touch.

Hanna "Enough foreplay, baby." She says, after a while, while moving away from him. "I need you."

Caleb sits up a little and pushes her jeans and panties down. Hanna finishes taking them off along with her boots, as Caleb takes another blanket. They keep the rest of their clothes on, due to the cold weather. Hanna gets back on top of Caleb as he lovingly places the blanket over the lower half of her body to keep her warm. Hanna cups his cheek with one of her hands while Caleb rests his hands on her lower back and his head back on the pillow.

Hanna "I love you, baby." She says and starts a new kiss as she uses her free hand to guide him inside of her.

Caleb "Love you more." He whispers against her mouth, kissing her back.

As Hanna gets started with her deep movements, Caleb slides his hands down to her ass, joining her in a perfectly synchronized pace.

/

Later on.

Hanna is peacefully resting between Caleb's arms, with her jeans back on, both of them wrapped in a couple of blankets.

She looks up at him and notices that his eyes are shut. She brings her hand from under the blankets, glancing at the ring on her finger. She takes it off, examines it closely, and then slides it back onto her finger to admire it again.

Caleb "What's up, Han?" He hugs her tighter.

Hanna lifts her head and smiles at him. "I thought you were asleep."

Caleb "I was just resting." He takes her hand and places a tender kiss on it. "Having second thoughts?" He says playfully.

Hanna "Oh, no. Of course not… I was just thinking…" She says, resting back on his chest.

Caleb "About?"

Hanna "Are you sure about this? Wouldn't you prefer to wait a little longer and propose to me again in some time? I mean… we just got back together and we are like in the honeymoon phase all over again. Don't you want to wait and ask me again when we are back to normal?"

Caleb "Hanna, look at me."

Hanna turns to lie on her stomach and looks at him.

Caleb "I've never been so sure about something in my whole life. Wanna know when I got that ring?"

Hanna "When?" She asks, sliding her hand underneath his coat and caressing his chest through the two other layers of clothes he's wearing.

Caleb "The very same day we got home from the hospital after my appendectomy. That's where Toby and I went that afternoon. I lied to you, we didn't go to the office to get my things so I could work from home. I asked him to drive me to the jewelry store."

Hanna "Oh, so that was why you were acting so mysterious that day."

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Wait a minute! That was the same day…" Realization hits her. "Oh my god, I can't believe you got the ring right before asking me for a break! God, you are really nuts!" She gives him a playful slap on his shoulder. "That's why you were bringing up marriage that night when we were discussing the break. I really wanted to murder you for talking about it when you were breaking my heart with the whole 'break' thing."

Caleb sighs. "I just couldn't stop thinking about it… pretending that you were my wife back at the hospital felt so good, it felt right. I wanted to make it real. But I knew it wasn't the right time to propose to you, and I was convinced that we needed to do something to fix our relationship first… I wrongly thought that taking a break was the way. I got the ring anyway because I needed something to hold on to. Maybe for the same reason as you got that tattoo… Anyway, I'm very sure about this, Han. Got that ring on probably the hardest moment of our relationship. So yes, I have no doubts, I've never had. I wanted to marry you at our worst, and I still want to marry you now, at our best."

Hanna is at the verge of tears, touched by Caleb's sincere words. She looks into his eyes with a mixture of emotions and takes a moment to compose herself before responding. "Well, it's very nice to know you were carrying such a deep commitment through our toughest times... I still think you are insane for getting an engagement ring the same day you asked me for a break… But anyway, it makes this ring even more special to me. And I don't doubt for a second that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She smiles and leans in for a sweet kiss.

Caleb "Wanna go back to the house?" He asks after Hanna pulls away from the kiss.

Hanna "Yes, please! I was waiting for you to suggest it! I mean, I loved this so much, but... it's just so cold." She chuckles. "I was really hoping that it wasn't your idea to spend the whole night here."

Caleb smiles too. "Why didn't you just say that you wanted to go back already?" He gently brushes her hair aside. "We're getting married. I think we have enough trust for you to let me know."

Hanna "Didn't want to be ungrateful for your beautiful surprise. I loved it all, the fire, the tent, the ring, you and your loving words… everything was just perfect."

Caleb "I was also going to bring some champagne, but... it was too cold for it, and cocoa didn't seem as romantic. I even thought of bringing Chocolate and making him part of the proposal, but... leaving him outside the tent while having sex didn't seem right."

Hanna laughs at his comment while sitting up.

Caleb "Stay here while I put out the fire, babe… well, what's left of it anyway."

Hanna "Okay."

/

Morning after.

Caleb wakes up with his arm completely numb under Hanna's torso. She lies facing away from him, hugging a pillow, and one of her legs is spread out between his.

Carefully removing his arm from underneath Hanna, he stretches it out, then turns to his side to spoon her, resting his face against her back. Remaining there for several minutes, just relaxing.

Then, sitting up in bed, he looks at Hanna. She's bundled up in the covers, wearing one of his hoodies, as she felt extremely cold the night before when they returned from their romantic night out in the tent. He reaches out and caresses her hair very softly, trying not to wake her up. Watching her sleep for a while, as he still can't believe he's actually marrying her.

Hanna suddenly moves, still asleep, turning to lie on her back, extending one of her arms to the side, which ends up resting across Caleb's lap.

Caleb smiles and takes that hand of hers, which happens to be the one where she's wearing the ring. He starts to stroke her palm and her fingers gently. Then reaches out with his other hand and runs the tip of his index finger down on the bridge of her nose, and also traces her bottom lip with it.

Hanna smiles a little, feeling his touch, and Caleb notices.

Caleb "Morning, my insanely cute fiancée." He greets her, still caressing the palm of her hand.

Hanna "Morning, my early-rising ass fiancé."

Caleb chuckles. "Always so loving." He takes a pillow and playfully and carefully hits her on the head with it.

Hanna opens her eyes, laughing.

Caleb "And it's not that early, by the way. I think everyone but us is up already."

Hanna sits up too and still smiling, she places a tender kiss on Caleb's lips. "Morning, baby." She greets him again and rests her head on his shoulder, taking a moment to finish waking up properly.

Caleb "I'll go take a shower, beautiful." He tells her after some more minutes.

Hanna moves away from his shoulder and lies back down in bed. "Okay, let me know when you finish with the bathroom." She says, making herself comfortable again.

Caleb "Sure." He stands up and grabs his towel. "Don't fall asleep again." He places a tender kiss on her forehead.

Hanna "I don't promise anything." She smiles.

/

Later on, Hanna finally shows up downstairs in the living room.

Alison smiles at her right away. "I wanna see that ring!" She goes straight to the point, leaving one of the twins down on a baby blanket on the floor.

Hanna grins while walking over to her and Emily. "Morning, guys!" She greets them happily.

Emily "Morning, bride-to-be." She smiles too.

Hanna goes straight to Ali and pulls her into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Ali. I didn't know what you were up to."

Alison chuckles while hugging her back. "Don't worry, I know I was being pretty annoying… Anyway, I'm still surprised that you even listened to me. You could have just sent me to hell and gone to look for Caleb anyway."

Hanna laughs. "Yeah, I wanted to slap your face so bad… I think I only held back because of the babies." She jokes, pulling away from the hug.

Alison "Let me see that ring."

Hanna shows her hand to Alison and Emily.

Alison "Wow, this is actually a very nice ring."

Emily "Yeah, indeed it is!"

Alison "Even better than Jordan's."

Hanna gives her a look.

Alison "I'm sorry for bringing him up. Couldn't help it." She smiles.

Hanna "I'm so much happy, guys! Finally, everything is falling into place!"

Emily "I'm happy for you, Han." She gives her a hug. "You deserve only good things in your life and that's finally happening." She pulls away from her. "And I'm happy for Caleb too. Seeing him cry for you was so heartbreaking."

Hanna "He cried for me?" She asks, a bit surprised.

Alison "He lost it one night after we got together at Spencer's for dinner."

Hanna "Oh, I didn't know."

Emily "It's okay, it wasn't that bad." She minimizes it. "The important thing here is that everything is back to normal and that you guys are getting married!" She says, excitedly.

Hanna grins. "Yeah! I am getting married!"

Hanna approaches the twins and gets on her knees. "Morning auntie's favorite twinsies!" She greets them, placing a tender kiss on each's cheeks. "Where's Spence?" She asks while standing up.

Emily "In the kitchen, she's preparing the food for the babies."

Hanna is about to go show Spencer her ring, but in that moment, Caleb, Chocolate, Toby, and Finn, in Toby's arms, come from the outside.

Toby approaches Hanna with a smile on his face while Caleb unleashes Chocolate.

Toby "Congrats, Han!" He hugs her briefly. "You caught a good one, huh?" He jokes, pulling away from her.

Hanna "The best one, actually." She shoots Caleb a smile and then turns to Finn. "Hi, big one-year-old baby." She warmly greets him while stealing him from his dad's arms.

Chocolate approaches Hanna for a greeting as well.

Hanna "Hey there, buddy!" She crouches down, holding Finn with one arm and caressing Chocolate with the other.

Finn looks at Hanna and starts caressing Chocolate as well, imitating her.

Hanna smiles at him, melting of love. "Seriously, get this baby a dog already." She says, looking up at Toby.

Toby laughs. "Seriously, get that dog a baby already." He fires back.

Hanna laughs too. "He's got plenty here."

Toby "Well, Finnie's got his own dog too." He points to the stuffed animal.

Caleb "Where's your doggie, Finnie?" He asks the baby tenderly.

Hanna puts Finn on his feet, with the intention of taking his hand and helping him walk to the toy, but before she has the chance to do so, Finn starts taking some steps by himself.

Spencer "Oh my god!" She says very excitedly while coming from the kitchen. "He's walking!" She looks at Toby and shifts her gaze back to Finn.

Toby "He is!"

Hanna "Go, Finnie! Good job, baby!" She encourages him while following closely just in case he loses his balance.

Finn finally reaches his stuffed dog, and everyone celebrates, clapping their hands and cheering for him.

The baby grins, ecstatic from all that attention, not quite catching why, but still beyond happy.

Toby "Good job, son!" He takes him in his arms and lifts him in the air, getting a laugh from him.

Hanna walks over to Caleb, and he hugs her from the side as they still keep their eyes on Finn.

Spencer approaches Toby and Finn. "Well done, champ!" She kisses his head. "He's definitely got some Hastings genes in him." She comments.

Toby rolls his eyes at her, but everyone else laughs, knowing very well about the Hastings' competitive nature.

Spencer turns to Hanna now. "Well, Finnie is not the only one to congratulate here!" She grins. "Congrats, Han! Let me see that ring." She says while approaching her.

Hanna grins too and shows her hand to her.

Spencer takes her hand to get a good look of her ring. "Well, that's a diamond, Han!"

Hanna chuckles.

Spencer "Congrats, you two!" She pulls both of them into a hug. "I love you guys! This was quite the perfect weekend!"