Guilty Until Proven Innocent
Chapter One
Summary: It's been a year since Spencer and Toby were last accused of killing Alison, and things have gone back to a somewhat normalcy. But things never stay "normal" in Rosewood for very long.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars.
It has been a year since Spencer Hastings and Toby Cavanaugh were accused of killing Alison DiLaurentis. And after the police realized that they had no solid evidence against either of the two teens for the murder, all of the charges were dropped. Yes, practically everyone in Rosewood still yells hate threats at Toby and cross the street when they see him coming; and practically everyone still thinks that Spencer and her friends are liars, but other than that, everything in Rosewood has gone back to being normal. Well, as normal as normal can be in Rosewood. And it's at this point that our story starts.
Spencer Hastings was sitting in the kitchen area of her house with her friends and Toby when there was a knock on the front door. With a smile towards her friends over something that Hanna had said, Spencer got up to go answer the knocker. However, on her way down the hallway, Spencer noticed that someone else in her family had already beaten her to it.
"I'm really sorry for disturbing you Veronica, but I need Emily at home. Is it okay if I come in and get her?" Spencer heard Emily's mom, Pam, say to her own mom.
"Of course Pam, come on in. The girls are in the kitchen." Veronica replied as she stepped aside to let the other women in.
"How have you been Veronica? And how are Peter and the girls?" Pam asked, but Spencer could tell that there was something else going on by the slight strain in Pam's voice.
"Oh, we're all doing well. Melissa and Joseph are coping quite well without Ian being around and Spencer finally seems to be happy again." Veronica replied.
"Oh, I had forgotten that Melissa had had her baby. How old is he now?" Pam asked and Spencer could tell that the two older women were walking towards the kitchen.
"Spencer? Is everything okay?" Veronica asked her daughter when she saw her standing there.
"Oh, everything's fine. I was going to answer the front door but you beat me to it. It's nice to see you again Mrs. Fields." Spencer said politely.
"It's nice to see you again too Spencer." Pam replied.
"Emily's just in the other room. I'll go let her know that you're here." Spencer said as she turned around and started to head back into the kitchen before her mother spoke again.
"We'll just come with you Spencer. There's no need to not let Pam say hello to Hanna and Aria as well." Veronica said with a smile.
"Of course not." Spencer said simply. "Toby's here too." She added under her breath.
Despite things having a normalcy to them again, one thing that hadn't really changed that much was how much Veronica Hastings still didn't like Toby very much. At least Peter had started to warm up to the idea that his youngest daughter had found a guy who made her truly happy.
"What was that dear?" Veronica asked.
"Oh, I just said that Toby's here too. He's in the kitchen talking to the girls. It would be rude if Pam didn't say hi to him too since she would be saying hi to Aria and Hanna." Spencer said. Whenever the subject of Toby came up with her mom, Spencer always had to keep a tight lip to keep from blowing up at her mom; especially when there were other people around.
"Oh, right. I had forgotten that Toby was here as well. But, we shouldn't just stand around here talking; Pam, you did say that you needed Emily at home, right?" Veronica said.
"That is true. And if Toby's here, I should let him know that his step-sister is looking for him." Pam said with a small nod.
The look of slight terror that flashed in Spencer's eyes went unnoticed by the two older women.
"Jenna's looking for Toby? Do you know why?" Spencer asked slowly.
"Unfortunately, no, I don't know why. The girl wouldn't tell me. She was actually very rude about asking if I had seen him." Pam said with a shake of her head.
"Jenna does tend to be a little too possessive of Toby." Spencer commented as she turned and walked towards the kitchen.
"Who was at the door Spencer?" Hanna asked, but before Spencer could answer, Pam and Veronica walked into the room.
"Emily, I need you at home. And Toby, your step-sister is looking for you. And she seems extremely… annoyed, to put it nicely… that you aren't at home." Pam said.
"Mom, is everything okay?" Emily asked as she grabbed her bag and her phone.
"No Emily, everything is not okay." Pam said and everyone could see the pain and worry in her eyes.
"Is it Dad?" Emily asked slowly.
"Yes." Pam said simply before breaking down into tears.
"Emily, you should get your mom home. We'll talk to you later." Hanna said softly.
"Okay. See you guys later." Emily said as she led her mom out of the room.
"I should head home too. It won't do me any good to have Jenna being pissed at me." Toby said as he wrapped his arms around Spencer's waist and kissed her temple. "I'll talk to you in the morning." He added before he followed Emily and Pam out.
"Are you girls staying over tonight?" Veronica asked turning towards Aria and Hanna.
"I have plans tonight." Aria said as she grabbed her stuff and blew a kiss to Spencer and Hanna before smiling at Veronica and walking out the back door.
"I'll stay if that's okay with you Mrs. Hastings." Hanna said with a smile.
"Of course that's okay with me Hanna; just make sure that you call your mom and let her know where you are." Veronica said before she headed up the stairs.
"Spill." Hanna said once she was sure that Spencer's mom was out of ear shot.
"Han, there's nothing to talk about." Spencer said simply.
"Spence, you're mom still hates your boyfriend. It's been a freakin' year!" Hanna exclaimed.
"Will you keep your voice down?" Spencer asked quickly.
"Sorry. But really Spencer, what gives? Why hasn't your mom come around about Toby like your dad and Melissa have?" Hanna asked.
"I'm not sure. But I'm not going to push my luck. If it takes time for my mom to come around about Toby, then time is what I'll take. At least she's being civil to him." Spencer said with a shrug.
"That's true I guess." Hanna said as her phone beeped saying she had a text message.
Hanna, please come home soon. There's something that I need to tell you. – Mom
Mom, I'm staying at Spencer's house tonight. Can it wait 'til morning? – Hanna
I guess… but I want you home right after you eat breakfast. – Mom
Okay. Love you. – Hanna
Love you too. – Mom
"Who was that? Lover boy?" Spencer asked with a smirk.
"No. My mom actually." Hanna said showing her phone to Spencer.
"Oh, okay then." Spencer said with a small nod as her phone went off.
Made it home. I will call you in the morning and tell you everything about what happens with Jenna. I love you Spencer. Sleep tight. – Love Toby
Okay. I'll talk to you in the morning. I love you too, Toby. Try and sleep well. – Love Spencer
"Was that your lover boy?" Hanna asked in a slight sing-songy voice.
"Yes it was. He was letting me know that he made it home." Spencer said with a small smile.
"What's with the smile Spence?" Hanna asked.
"Oh, nothing. Let's get some sleep." Spencer said as she started to head up the stairs to her room with Hanna right behind her.
As Spencer and Hanna reached the top of the stairs there was a pounding on the door downstairs. Turning to look at her best friend, Spencer looked down the hall to see her parents coming out of their room.
"What's going on Spencer?" Peter asked his daughter.
"I'm not sure Dad. Hanna and I were heading to bed." Spencer answered as the pounding happened… this time accompanied by a voice.
"SPENCER!" Toby called from the back door and before anyone could stop her, Spencer was flying down the stairs.
Swinging the back door open, Spencer was pulled into Toby's embrace.
"Toby, what's wrong?" Spencer tried to ask, but with Toby holding her as close as he was, it came out as a mumble.
"Toby? What's wrong?" Hanna asked while she tried to pry Toby's arms off of Spencer a little bit.
"The police were at my house." Toby said slowly and sadly.
"What? Why?" Spencer asked as she looked up at her boyfriend.
"They've found some new, more solid evidence against both of us Spencer." Toby said not meeting her eyes.
"That's not possible." Peter said from his and his wife's spot at the bottom of the stairs.
"I don't want to believe it either Sir, but there's nothing anyone to do. They are letting Spencer and I say goodbye to our friends and family, but they are putting us both under arrest." Toby explained.
"It's been a year! Can't they just let it go!" Hanna exclaimed as Spencer started to cry.
"It's all they've been doing in this past year Hanna; looking for solid evidence against Spencer and I. We have until 9am tomorrow morning to say goodbye to everyone before they arrest us both." Toby said.
"They can't do this!" Hanna exclaimed.
"Yes they can Hanna." Veronica said meekly.
"How? Neither Spencer nor Toby killed Alison!" Hanna yelled. She was not going to let her best friend be arrested for something that she didn't do.
"Hanna, it's what they do." Peter said.
"If they have solid evidence against Spencer and Toby, then they have to do their jobs. No matter how much we believe that neither of them didn't do it, we can't fight it." Veronica said before turning around and heading back upstairs.
"Mom?" Spencer said quietly. How could her mom just walk away from this?
"Spencer, listen to me." Peter said walking over to his daughter. "Both your mother and I are lawyers. Now, I'm not sure about your mother, but I am here for you and Toby, I will represent both of you and I will make sure that you both get out of jail." Peter said as he held Spencer close to him.
"Dad, my boyfriend are being arrested in the morning for killing Alison. And you know that neither of us killed her. Isn't there something that you can do to have it so that we aren't arrested?" Spencer asked through her tears.
"I'm so sorry Spencer, but right now, if the police have made up their minds, there's nothing that I can do to change it. But I will not let you be accused for long on something that you didn't do." Peter said as he kissed Spencer's forehead.
"Sir, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Toby asked.
"Of course." Peter said as he looked at his daughter before standing up. "Everything will work out okay in the end."
"Hanna, what am going to do?" Spencer asked her best friend.
"I don't know Spence, I really don't know." Hanna said while wrapping her arm around Spencer's shoulders.
"What did you want to talk about Toby?" Peter asked once he and the younger man were outside.
"Sir, I know that things didn't get off on the right foot with each other, and I don't blame you or your wife, but I need you to know that I really do love your daughter and I don't want to see anything happen to her. And I feel 100% responsible for the situation that she is in now; is there anything that I can do to make it up to you?" Toby asked.
"There is one thing that I can think of. Take away from Rosewood for the night. Take her somewhere where it's just you two and you don't have to think about what's going to happen in the morning." Peter said.
"I will. Thank you Sir." Toby said with a small smile. If Spencer's dad was giving him permission to take Spencer away from all of this, even for just one night, he was going to make sure that Spencer had a good time away from all of the speculation and the arrest that was awaiting both of them in the morning.
Walking back into the house, Toby was heartbroken to see Spencer crying on Hanna's shoulder. Toby couldn't help but feel responsible for everything that had happened to Spencer and he was going to make it up to her the best that he could if it was the last thing that he did.
"Spence?" Toby asked softly causing her to look up at him with tear stained cheeks.
"Yeah?" she asked as her voice broke a little bit.
"We're getting out of here for the night. Your dad asked me to take you away for tonight so that you don't have to think about what's going to happen tomorrow. Come on." Toby said as he wiped a few stray tears away from Spencer's cheek with his thumb.
"What about Hanna? She was going to spend the night." Spencer said quickly.
"I'll be fine Spence. My mom wanted me home tonight anyway." Hanna said as she gave Spencer a huge hug before turning to Toby. "You had better take care of her tonight."
"I will Hanna. Will you please let Emily and Aria know what's going on? Spencer and I need to go." Toby said and Hanna nodded. "Thank you. Come on Spencer, we have to go." He said taking Spencer's hand in his and leading her out the door.
"Where are we going to go?" Spencer asked meekly.
"I'm not sure, but somewhere that's not in Rosewood." Toby said softly.
End Chapter One
(A/N: I hope you liked the chapter. I know that I have other stories that I have to finish, but when this idea came to me, I had to write it. I will do my best to get my other stories updated soon. But in the mean time, please let me know what you thought about this chapter. – Emma)