chapter thirty seven
a hot piece of a
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"But how hard did you hit him, her. It?" Aria asked Josie as the girls walked back into the greenhouse. "Didn't run like a 'her'." Emily sassed as Josie sighed. "I thought it was an animal." Hanna said as Josie nodded in agreement. "I had no idea I had hit a person." Josie said. "It was. Is." Spencer said to Hanna's statement as they all searched for the box in the greenhouse for the box Emily had. "Okay, where is the box?" Emily asked as she looked around her and at her friends. "You guys this phone's locked." Spencer told them as Josie nodded. "Thought it would be, 'A' isn't stupid," she mumbled. "And where were you guys? I thought we were supposed to meet here, wasn't that the plan?" Emily asked, she was still panicked from before. "Look I'm sorry, Em, I dropped a huge bomb at home, my parents won't let me go anywhere, I had to crawl through mike's window." Aria said as she turned to Emily.

"And Toby came in and totally cornered me with all of these questions about why I was acting this way, and he would not leave without any answers." Spencer said with a sigh. "Richie was in my living room, waiting for me before I left," Josie let out as she shook her head. "Kate's moving to rosewood." Hanna blurted out, shocking everyone but Josie, who Hanna told as she got into her car. "What?!" Aria, Emily and Spencer yelled in shock. "Yeah. yeah, my dad and Isabel got married, and now they're looking for a house here in rosewood. So now I have more than one monster in my life. okay? I won." Hanna said, causing Josie to shake her head as Emily scoffed. "No, you don't! I was almost killed! these are not highlights, hanna. This is glass in my hair!" she snapped. "Okay," Aria said, trailing off as she helped take the glass out of Emily's hair. "You guys, can you talk to me for a second? I'm holding 'A's phone in my hand. What are we doing with this?" Spencer asked, looking at her friends as she held the phone in her, shakily.

"Something, before 'A' knows we have it." Emily said as she moved a bit, making Aria sigh. "stand still." She said, holding Emily's head. "Hanna, call caleb!" Spencer said out of the blue, making Hanna turn to her confused. "Why?" Hanna asked, confused. "He's the best way that we can get information off of this–" Spencer started but Hanna cut into her sentence. "Leave him out of this." Hanna demanded. "Han he's our best shot at tracing this back to 'A'" Josie said hesitantly, she knew she didn't want him involved either, because of who she thought was to her, but she also knew he was the only hacker they knew. "There are other people. we'll take it to the phone store tomorrow." Hanna said, making the girls look at her wide eyed.

"The... the phone store?!" Spencer said annoyed. "Well, then, call technical support! we can have someone in pakistan do it!" Hanna snapped. "Hanna!" Emily snapped. "What?" Hanna asked. "This... This can't wait until tomorrow." Aria said, hoping to get Hanna on board "Once 'A' realizes it's missing It's–" Emily butted in. "It get it, okay? but this phone is connected to Jenna and officer Garrett, Caleb already has bad history with her and the police. we're not going there!" Hanna exclaimed. "Okay, but if he can find something that finally nails the two of them together..." Aria trailed off. "At least consider it." Emily begged her.

"Hanna, come on, think this through." Josie said as she shook her head. "I am." Hanna answered back. "Okay, you done thinking? 'cause we're running out of time here." Spencer asked impatiently as she lowered her hands from her head. "Wait, is Caleb still crashing with lucas? Where's lucas' house? I will go over–" Spencer started rambling. "Spencer, stop giving us orders! we're not your winged monkeys!" Hanna snapped, making Josie rub her forehead. "Okay guys, stop!" Aria snapped, getting in between them, in case. "There's got to be a way that we can get Caleb to help without–" Aria's sentence was cut off by 'A's phone ringing. "Answer it." Spencer said, handing the phone to Aria as it kept ringing.

Aria took the phone but passed it off to Emily. "Answer it. Answer it!" Aria said in a hushed whisper. "Why me? I've got glass in my hair!" Emily said as she looked back at Aria. "I'll answer it!" Josie snapped, taking the phone from Aria. "What do you want me to say? Should we tell them that we have the phone?" she asked as she looked away from the phone to her friends, not knowing what to say. "They'll know that when you say hello." Spencer said, straight face. Josie looked down at the ringing phone in her hands to see the person who was calling 'A's phone. "It's blocked." Josie said in a whisper but suddenly glass shatters from above them, causing them to move so it doesn't hit them. "I've got Caleb's number! I'm calling him!" Emily said before taking off. "Go!" Spencer said, as the rest of the girls followed Emily out of the green house.

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Emily had called Caleb on their way back to Spencers, which is where they are now, with Caleb trying to hack into the phone with the girls around him. "What's that number?" Spencer asked, pointing to something on the screen. "Tell's me how much data is currently loaded on the phone." Caleb answered her. "It's a lot." he added as Josie bit her nails, nervous. "You mean like photos? Videos?" Emily asked from beside Spencer. "Definitely more than angry birds." Caleb quipped. "And how long will it take to download?" Josie asked as she leaned in between Spencer and Emily. "We're not there yet," Caleb answered, moving to look at her, before he looked away and at Hanna. "Hanna." he called out, making her turn to him. "Hmm?" she hummed, looking at him.

"You alright?" he asked. Hanna had chosen to stand away from where the girls and Caleb were, not even wanting Caleb involved. "Yeah." she answered, but he didn't believe her. He turned back to his computer "Alright can somebody tell me whose phone this is or–" he was cut off by Spencer. "We can't... Yet" she answered. "The less you know right now, the better." she added. "Okay..." Caleb trailed off. "Well then can somebody tell me why Emily smells like a bag of mulch?" he asked. Josie sighed as she moved to sit with Hanna. "Wait, something just came up." Aria said, pointing to the computer screen. "Crap," Caleb sighed as she typed on his computer. "What just happened." Josie asked as she got up to see what was going on.

"Phone got bricked." Caleb answered. "Translate please." Emily begged as she looked confused. "The owner shut down the phone from their computer," he answered. "What? So we lost everything?" Spencer asked. "We never had everything, I have some files but they're locked and they're probably corrupted." Caleb said, making the girls sigh. "I can try and retrieve what I have, but... it's gonna take awhile." he said, looking at the girls. "Are you sure you want me to work on this?" he asked. "Yes." the girls said in unison beside Hanna, and Josie was hesitant. "Hanna?" he asked, making her turn to him and the girls turn to her. "Are you alright with this?" he asked. The girls gave her looks, hoping she'd let him. She just nodded.

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"Wait, hold on." Richie said, as he turned to face Josie who sat in the passenger seat of his car. "I know it was stupid-" she started but he cut her off. "Yes. it was, you could have been hurt, any of you girls could have been." he said as he stared at his girlfriend. "I know, but it was the only plan we could think of where we could figure out who 'A' was." Josie answered. "Jesus Jo," he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair as she grabbed his hands, making him look at her again. "I'm okay." she said softly, making him sigh before he rested his forehead against her as they sat there for a minute before they got out and headed into school. "Next time you girls come up with an idea like that, i would like to be told." He said to her and Josie nodded. "I promise, next time I will tell you." she said, before kissing him lightly before they continued walking through the school, making idle chit chat.

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Josie and Richie were with Emily, who was getting stuff out of her locker and as they went to walk away, Spencer walked up to the three of them. "Hey, how was your test?" Spencer asked Emily. "I'm doing a makeup, I gotta run, community service starts at 4.pm sharp." she answered as she went to walk past Spencer, while Josie and Richie stayed back with Spencer. "Wait, yours is today?" Spencer asked her, stopping Emily, causing the couple to share a look. "I was hoping you'd come snoop around Jason's house with me." Spencer said, making Emily, Josie and Richie confused. "Jason DiLaurentis? Why?" Richie asked, with crossed arms. "Well, if Jenna and Garrett have a helper, it's a he... where does you mind go?" Spencer answered. Richie titled his head from side to side, thinking on it.

"It's going to community service, ask Aria." Emily suggested. "I think her parents have her still grounded." Josie answered as Spencer nodded her head in agreement. "I did," Spencer answered, making Emily stop again. "She's under house arrest and beside she really believes that Jason's been out of town for weeks." she added. "Then ask Hanna, or maybe Josie can come with you." Emily said, making Josie shake her head. "I've got plans with Richie." Josie said as she nodded to Richie, making Emily sigh. "Hanna spent all of chem class drawing pictures of me with a pointy hat and a wart on my nose." Spencer said, making Josie laugh, ignoring the look Spencer shot her. "She'll get over it, offer her your lake house, she needs some serious face time with Caleb." Emily answered, making the couple cringe.

"My lake house?" Spencer asked, confused. "Yeah, they've already made some memories on that couch in the living room." Emily said with a smile, making Richie turn to put his head on Josie's shoulder, hoping they wouldn't see him laughing. Emily's smile dropped once she saw Spencer looked paler and just looked at her. "She-she didn't tell you?" Emily asked before she turned away, leaving Spencer with Josie and Richie. "That was my Nana's couch." Spencer muttered to herself, making Josie sighed and pat her shoulder. "It'll be ok Spence, she'll never know," she said with a giggle before walking off.

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The next day, Emily had apparently found a transcript from a call that had come in last night and it sounded like 'A'. "I almost got caught tonight. It's gone, and I can't get it back. I might as well be dead," Spencer read the paper that Emily had handed her. "Tell me that does not sound like A's helper." Emily said, looking around at her friends. "They let you keep this?" Josie asked, confused as she looked over the paper. "No! They don't know I have it." Emily answered as Hanna walked up to them. "Okay, so I have good news and I have bad news." she said, standing next to Josie. "Have you seen this?" Spencer asked the Marin girl, showing her the piece of paper, which she grabbed from Spencer. "Are you kidding? I woke up to it, Emily taped it to our bathroom mirror." she responded. "We knew that it wasn't Jenna in the greenhouse, but now it looks like it wasn't–" Spencer started but Emily cut her off. "It was her drone." she said.

"Okay, I think that we should all be working at this crisis hotline. i mean, if 'A's helper calls back then we–" Once again Spencer's cut off. "Nnnn...no. I can't work at a hotline. I'm on lockdown. I can barely even pee without a chaperone." Aria said before going to walk away but Hanna stopped her before she could get too far. "Wait, you're coming to my surprise party, right?" Hanna asked, making Aria turn to her. "Nope, not unless you're throwing it in my closet." She replied sarcastically and went to walk away but before she could Caleb called out to the girls.

"Hey, guys, you got a minute?" he said, making them turn to see him in the doorway of a classroom, causing the girls to share a look before walking inside, following Caleb. "I finally cracked one of these files..." he said, clicking something and an image pops up of five dolls that look like the girls, making Josie take a sharp inhale before the girls all share a look, causing Caleb to sigh. "But I'm guessing that wasn't what you were looking for." he said, standing up straight, looking at the group. "What are you looking for?" he asked with a shrug of the shoulders. "No, this is... This is really great." Spencer said, breaking the awkward silence in the room. "Could you please forward this picture to all of us? I really have to get to class." she asked, looking towards Caleb. "Thanks Caleb." Aria said softly as Josie patted his shoulder in thanks before following the girls out of the classroom.

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While Spencer and Emily were at the Crisis Hotline, Josie was at home with Richie, filling him in on what Caleb found. "They look exactly like you and the girls, that's freaky." he said, looking at the photo of the five dolls on her phone as she made the both of them a coffee. "I know," she replied with a sigh as she added milk to hers then Richies, before giving his to him. "Thanks," he muttered before handing her phone back to her. "So you don't know when that was taken?" he asked as she sat beside him. She shook her head 'no'. "No, but it reminds me of the time me and the girls got before Hanna's fathers wedding." she said, not realising she hadn't told him, making him snap his head to her, in shock. "Excuse me?" he asked, making her close her eyes with a sigh. "I forgot I didn't tell you that." she mumbled, before turning to him.

"I was made to tell them about me having a brother." she said, making him frown. "Made?" he asked with furrowed brows. "'A' sent us dolls, and it had out name on the necklaces around them, meaning they were for us, and it had a voice box in it, and when you pulled the string it would talk, it mentioned me having to reveal a secret, and i told the girls but i didn't mention anything about thinking it was Caleb, that wouldn't be pretty if it was false." she said, making Richie sigh before standing up and hugging her, making her lean into the hug as he rubbed her back. The couple stayed like that for a while before moving to the living room and watching a movie.

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The next day Spencer and Josie were at Spencer's lake house for Caleb's surprise party that Hanna's throwing for him except for Aria, who couldn't come, Emily who was working the hotline and will arrive later and Richie, who was on his way. Spencer, Hanna and Josie were walking up to the attic to get something that Hanna needed for the party. "Are you sure they're up here?" Hanna asked with a groan. "Yes. My mom brought like, a zillion tiki torchers for my dad's 40th, so they've got to be up here somewhere." Spencer replied. Josie and the other two looked around the tiki torchers that Hanna needed. "Well, is it worth taking a second shower for?" Hanna asked, as she looked at things that were covered in dust. "What is all this stuff?" Josie asked, turning to look at Spencer. "Well the furniture is my nana's and the spiders, they came with the house." Spencer said as she looked into a box and the doorbell rang from downstairs. "That's the food, keep looking, I'll be right back." Hanna said before leaving the two girls in the attic, looking into boxes. "Okay." Spencer whispered.

Spencer went to look into a box, hoping to find the tiki torchers, but something else caught her eye. "Josie, come over here." she said, making Josie look up. "Did you find them?" she asked, walking over, not looking at the wall, but at Spencer who looked like she had seen a ghost. "No, but look at the wall." she said, confusing Josie, making her turn to the wall, and it didn't take long before Josie realized what Spencer had. "Is that.." she trailed off. Spencer nodded before grabbing onto the boxes that were in front of it and moving them so they could get a better look at the wall. Josie shook as she got a better look at the wall, one that looked like the wallpaper from the photo Caleb had gotten from the phone.

"Hanna!" they called out, hoping she'd hear them but she didn't seem to. Spencer pulled her phone out of her back pocket, holding up the photo of the dolls, and comparing it to the view she had in front of her. "Oh, my god," Josie said, "'A's been up here." Spencer said before taking a photo of the wallpaper so she and Josie could show the other girls when suddenly, Spencer and Josie heard the floor creaking, making them turn around in fright. "Hanna, is that you?" Spencer called out, moving in front of Josie lightly. "It's me." Lucas said, coming round the corner. "What are you doing here?" Josie asked, moving next to Spencer, crossing her arms. "Looking for some tools," he answered. "Why?" Spencer asked as Lucas kept getting closer, moving around boxes. "To hang the birthday Banner." he said casually, like the girls didn't know he was the caller from the hotline.

"Yeah, but why up here?" Spencer asked again, putting her phone away, before she and Josie moved away from him slowly. "How did you even know to come up here?" Josie asked, hesitantly. "I just figured they would be stored up here." he said, looking between Spencer and Josie as he kept walking closer. "You know, some people.." he cut himself off when Spencer grabbed something sharp in case she needed to defend her and Josie from Lucas, making him stop talking before starting again. "Some people like to store their tools in the attic. " he said. "Yeah, we don't." Spencer said, her voice shaking lightly before she and Josie walked out of the attic, leaving Lucas there.

Richie found Josie and Spencer coming down from the Attic, both of them shaking, making him frown, before walking up to them. "You two okay?" he asked, pulling Josie into a hug as he looked between them. "Lucas was the guy from the hotline." Spencer blurted out, taking Richie by surprise. "And 'A's been here," she added, pulling her phone out, showing him the photo of the wallpaper from the attic, it made him think back to the photo of the dolls he had looked at on Josie's phone. "Oh shit." he swore, hugging Josie tighter. 

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Soon after that, Spencer went looking for Hanna, the couple following her, Richie didn't want to let Josie out of his sight, not while 'A' could be at the party. The three of them eventually found Hanna, who was stressing out about the party for Caleb. "Hanna. Hanna" Spencer said, trying to get her attention as Hanna set a bowl of snacks down on the table. "Oh, um, Han, did you really order 12 pizzas with green peppers on 'em?" Mona asked, getting her attention as she and Noel walked up to Hanna. "No, why?" Hanna asked, turning to the couple.

"Well, that's what you got," Noel said. "And Noel's allergic," Mona said, causing Richie, Josie and Spencer to give her a look before they heard Hanna's phone ring, and once she read it, her eyes widened. "Caleb's almost here! He's early! Who comes to their own surprise party early?" Hanna asked, frustrated. "I haven't even hung the banner yet." she said, making Josie walk over to her and rub her arms in comfort, hoping to get her to stress less. "Hey, I'll do it." Noel offered before he kissed Mona's head and walked off as Mona smiled and Spencer once again tried to get Hanna to look at the picture.

"Hanna, will you please just look at this picture. 'A' has been here, 'A' has been in this house." Spencer said. "I can't deal with that right now." Hanna snapped, annoyed. "Okay, why is this phone not working?" Hanna asked as she glared at her phone. "The dolls were up there. My attic might be 'A's secret headquarters. Please just go upstairs, look at that wallpaper-" Spencer started and turned Hanna round but Hanna cut her off. "That wallpaper has been up there for 200 years. It can wait another day." Hanna said angrily before storming off while Spencer looked at her in disbelief while Josie leaned into Richie, tired from this night already.

Soon enough Emily arrived. Spotting Richie, Spencer and Josie, Emily rushed towards them. "Finally! You're here! You have to come up to the attic with me." Spencer said as Emily dragged Spencer, with the other two following. "Oh, Wait. I think I just made things worse with Lucas. I think he knows that I knew it was him on the phone." Emily said, causing Spencer and Josie to share a look as Richie sighed. "Ok, we've got to get him out of here" Spencer said. "Will you please speak to Hanna? She's not listening to me or Josie." Spencer said. "Where is she?" Emily asked, confused but Josie soon spotted Mona and she made our way towards her. "Mona. Hey. Have you seen Hanna? Do you know where she is?" Josie asked. "Yeah, she and Lucas just went to set up the fireworks." Mona smiled. "What? Where?" Emily asked, worried. "At the pier across the lake. They took the boat," Mona said, causing the four friends to share a nervous look, "Did they need permission?" Mona asked, confused before the four friends raced to the window to look outside.

They saw Hanna and Lucas on a boat as they swam away, causing Josie to shake her head. "This isn't good." she said before they all shared a look before taking off outside. "Hanna! Where are you?" Emily called out, hoping she'd hear them. "Hanna!" "Hanna!" Josie and Richie yelled. "Hanna, answer me!" Spencer yelled. "Hanna!" Emily yelled. "Hanna!" Spencer yelled. "I can't see anything. Can you guys see anything?" Emily asked frantically. "No, I can hear things, and that's enough," Spencer said. "Hanna!" Josie yelled out as the girls walked around, hoping to find Hanna.

"Hanna! Answer us!" Spencer yelled. "Let's get in the car. They're probably at the pier." Emily suggested. "No, Emily, it's a winding road. By the time that we get around–" Spencer started but Emily cut her off. "Well, we have to do something, ok." Emily angrily snapped. "Hey! Calm down, we'll find her." Richie said, being optimistic. "Hanna! Hanna, answer us!" Spencer yelled. "I'm calling the police." Emily said as took her phone out. "Go inside. Go!" Spencer instructed her and Emily quickly headed back inside while Spencer, Richie and Josie stayed outside, calling for Hanna. 

"Hanna! Hanna!" Spencer yelled out and they were trying to see Hanna but there was too much fog. It wasn't long before the people from the party had started coming outside, they were now whispering to each other. Josie and Spencer were looking at the water when they saw something swimming towards them and their eyes widened before walking closer to help Hanna. "Oh my god, Han, what happened!" Spencer asked. "Hanna, come here." Josie said softly, kneeling on the floor to grab Hanna's hands as soon as she could reach her. "Are you okay, where's Lucas?" Spencer asked as she shakily walked towards the two girls

Hanna almost fell but the girls managed to catch her and Richie quickly tore off his jacket and knelt down and wrapped it around Hanna before Josie and Spencer wrapped our arms around her, engulfing her in a tight hug. "It's ok Han, we've got you." Josie whispered softly to her. "Is she okay?" Emily asked, running towards them before she kneeled next to her friends. "She swam back." Spencer answered. "What's going on? Why is everybody out here?" Mona asked, confused, causing people to turn around to see Mona and Noel walking towards them, as they looked like they had been for a swim. "Where were you?" Spencer asked in disbelief. "We took a dip." Mona shrugged.

"What?" Richie asked in disbelief as he looked away from the girls to the couple. "Nice night for it." Noel said with a nod, making Josie look at them in disbelief before shaking her head before she focused on Hanna again. "Is Lucas still out there?" Richie asked her but Hanna didn't answer. She clung onto Josie and Spencer and kept looking out to the lake when they heard someone call out to Hanna, making everyone turn to see Caleb. He looked at everyone confused before looking at Hanna. "What's going on?" Caleb asked, worried about seeing Hanna in Richie jacket and Emily, Josie and Spencer hugging her while everyone crowded around her. Hanna looked at him with a smile on her face. "Surprise," Hanna said weakly before someone whispered an 'oh my gosh' making everyone turn to see the upside down boat, in the water, heading back towards the shore.

⎯ AUTHORS NOTE
new chapters <3 countdown till season three: ten chapters