To Protect Each Other ~ A Haleb Story

What's Wrong With Me?

A/N: Not actually planning on there being much Haleb in this chapter but oh well. Prepare for lots of dialogue.

CALEB'S POV...

Ten minutes after putting Hanna to bed, I found myself outside my best friends apartment. I knocked on the door and waited for a minute. And another minute. About to walk away, the door finally opened,

"Caleb!" He said, surprised to see me.

"Hey, Toby." I said stepped into the apartment. Almost instantly, a familiar fragrance filled the air. I racked my thoughts for what the smell was until I heard a voice.

"Caleb!" It was Spencer. Why does she always wear the same perfume? I smiled back at her, then became suddenly confused at the sight of the happy people, who really shouldn't be happy given the circumstances of their lives.

"Why are you two so happy?" I asked them both when I slumped on the couch and grabbed a half empty beer that was on the coffee table.

"That's mine." Spencer moaned.

"I know." I said in a monotone voice, half paying attention to the game show on the TV.

"How do you know?" She questioned.

"Because Toby's practically still in a wheelchair, so he can't drink." I gestured over to the corner of the room where an old metal wheelchair sat with a huge 'Rosewood Community Hospital' sticker on the side. I heard him huff next to me when he and Spencer sat down, too. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you two so happy?"

"What's wrong with being happy?" Toby asked.

"Just don't understand how you can be will everything that's going on." And I really didn't understand... how can they even remotely be happy when they've got an anonymous stalker blowing up their school and threatening their lives? It's beyond belief.

"Is this about Hanna?" Spencer asked, eyebrows furrowed. When I didn't answer, she moved onto the next question, "Where is she?"

"Sleeping..." I replied, still not looking away from the TV. I sighed, "I just... I don't know what to do anymore. All I wanted was to protect Hanna, keep her safe and I just can't do that anymore." I finally looked at the two of them, Toby was looking for Spencer's reaction - I knew he felt the same way about her - and Spencer was looking at me. I put my head in my hands, "This new -A is so out of our league that I dont know what to do. Hanna is crying herself to sleep everynight, having panic attacks left, right and centre and can barely pluck up the courage to walk on her own to class. I mean, obviously, I don't mind helping her, of course I will. It's just the way she gets so down about it. She feels guilty and ashamed and it kills me to see her like that." I finished. Spencer was about to speak when my phone started ringing, "Hold on..." I stood up and took myself into the hallway to answer the call, me soon realising it was from Hanna.

"Caleb?!" She sounded frantic.

"Hey baby. I thought you were sleeping..."

"Where are you?" It wasn't until know that I heard her crying. Or more like sobbing.

"I'm at Toby's. What's wrong?" I suddenly grew concerned at her tone. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.

"I just... I woke up and you weren't h-here and I-I got s-scared. I t-thought you were here and then you w-weren't and now I... I can't b-breathe..." I could hear her breathed getting shorter and shorter as she spoke. By the time she eventually finished her sentence, I had mouthed an, 'I have to go' to Spencer and Toby and was out the door.