Lucky Thirteen

All in the Family

"What do you mean you know who 'A' is?" asked a dumbfounded Hanna.

"Hanna, you do have a sister. A twin sister, to be more specific."

"What?! How did I not know that I have a twin sister? And more importantly, how did you not remember until now? What happened to her?"

"It's a long story, Hanna."

"I'm all ears."

"Okay, but let me just start by saying that Ted and I dated before... a long time ago... before you were even born."

"What does Ted have to do with anything?"

"Hanna... he's your father."

"Huh? I'm so confused."

"I told you it was a long story. And I'm just getting started. Anyway, yes, Ted is your biological father. We broke up right before I found out that I was pregnant with you (and your sister). I found out that I was carrying his child(ren) while I was dating Tom. Of course, he thought I cheated on him, which is why I guess he thought it was okay to have an affair with Isabel. When I told him that I got pregnant before I even started going out with him, he believed me, but he still held a grudge. That's probably why he was never a good father to you, Hanna. Because he knew you weren't his."

"Wow. Does Ted even know that I'm his daughter?" asked an incredulous Hanna.

"As far as I know, no... he doesn't," answered Ashley.

"Well, Ted treats me better than 'Dad' ever did. That's for sure. Can't say I'm sorry that Tom isn't my birth father. But what happened to my twin sister? It's not Ali, is it?"

"No. Ali is not your twin sister, but she is your cousin."

"How is that even possible?"

"Jessica DiLaurentis and I are sisters. And Carla Grunwald is our mother."

"What the hell?! Is this for real, mom? You have to be kidding. There's no way all of this can be true. It's ridiculous. You're just messing with me, right?"

"I'm not messing with you, Hanna. I'm telling the truth. Alison is my niece, and Jessica is my sister. That's why I was so protective of Ali and why Jessica gave me a job."

"Okay... but why didn't you tell me that Mrs. DiLaurentis is my aunt and Ali is my cousin?"

"I don't know. Jessica and I were never really close. I mean we were friendly, but not friends. If you get what I mean."

"Does Ali know that she and I are cousins?" asked Hanna.

"I wouldn't be surprised, Hanna. I think deep down, she knows, and that's why she chose you to be her friend."

"I guess that makes sense. Mrs. Grunwald being mine (and Ali's) grandma, makes sense too. That would explain my (our) weird connection to her. But you still haven't told me about what happened to my twin. What's her name? Is she even alive? I need to know Mom. You can't just leave me hanging like that."

"Your sister is alive, and her name is Charlotte. There was an incident between you and her when you were about seven years old. After getting into a fight over a doll, Charlotte got mad and stabbed you in the back with a knife. When Tom and I found you in a pool of blood on the floor and Charlotte holding the knife, we immediately took you to the hospital and her to Radley. She's been in here ever since I guess until now."

"Wait a second, Ali told me a story just like that on Halloween, back in 2008. That must mean something. She must know about Charlotte. Did Jessica DiLaurentis know about her, and why don't I remember any of this?"

"I don't know what Alison knows, but I do know Jessica doesn't know about Charlotte. And it's like Dr. Sullivan said Hanna, it was a traumatic experience, so I guess we all repressed the memory of it."

"And what do you mean 'until now'?"

"I think Charlotte escaped Radley and she's 'A,' Hanna."