A/N: So… this has been my baby for the past 2-3 weeks. I'm very excited to share it with you all, but I'm also extremely nervous. Without giving too much away, I wanted to I apologize if it touches a nerve with some of you, or brings up some disagreeable feelings. I can't explain the need to write it down other than I've the idea for months and it just would not let me go… I can understand if you don't like it, and I can even take you telling me so, but please be gentle with your words. It's a scary thing to put something so personal out there, and I think some people underestimate how a few nasty comments can ruin a person's whole sense of self.

I originally intended for this to be a oneshot, but it quickly got out of hand to say the least. I've got the whole fiction – all six chapters of it – already written, and I will probably be updating every few days because I feel like waiting too long would disrupt the intimacy of the story. Save for the very last chapter (which will be an epilogue), the entire story takes place over the course of a school year. The title is kind of like a homage to the movie with the same name. I thought it was very fitting, but I take absolutely no credit for it.

Back when the idea struck me, it followed the canon storyline no problem. However, with what we know now, you'll have to ignore the last few twists I'm afraid. Let's say it can follow the original events up until 4x16 or even the first half of 4x17…

Here goes nothing.

A Beautiful Mind

September

"You have to say her name first," Toby explained. "That's really important. Give her a chance to recognize your voice. She won't let you touch her if she doesn't know who you are."

He was sitting at the counter in the Hastings' kitchen, across from the infamous couple. They weren't exactly known for their parenting skills, but were making a conscious effort nonetheless.

Spencer was curled up on the couch a few feet away. These past few weeks had been exhausting for her, and she had fallen asleep in his arms some time before. He had tucked her into the folds of the sofa, replaced his warmth with a blanket, and joined her parents in the kitchen.

"And after… just hold her. Hold her tight, rock her, make her feel safe. She always comes back when she knows it's safe."

"I've seen you whisper things in her ear," Veronica pointed out carefully. She had watched this young man comfort her fragile daughter countless times since this nightmare had begun, wondering what it was about his touch that was so magical to her. "What do you tell her?"

Toby just shrugged, as if he didn't rightfully know. As if he'd never even thought about it. "I guess… just that I love her. That I'll always love her, and that I'll be there was she decides to come back. That it's okay. That I'll wait for her."

He looked away, and Veronica swore she saw a hint of tears behind his sky blue eyes.

They didn't ask him how he knew all this. Neither of her parents did. Even before it all happened – before their daughter had left the house the clever, stubborn, radiant girl they had known for over eighteen years, and was unrecognizable not twenty-four hours later – he'd had a way with her that they could only dream of.

He calmed her. Got her to listen to him, even when she was worked up. Provided her with some semblance of peace in her tumultuous, chaotic life.

It seemed only logical that now, when at times she was so lost in her own mind that she couldn't tell you her own name, he was the one that figured out how to bring her back.

"I can't stand it. I can't stand seeing her like this."

It was the first time Peter had spoken since their conversation had begun, and Toby was startled at the amount of emotion present in his voice. He sounded like a broken man. Such a far cry from the aloof, detached father Spencer had been referring to ever since they first met on his porch a million years ago.

"I know it's hard," Toby admitted quietly. "But she's still in there. She has good days. Sometimes it's even almost like…"

Before.

He didn't have to say the word. It rang in the air as if someone had shouted it. That's what it was like now. Their lives were split into two parts. Before and After.

"Toby." Veronica reached out and took his hand, and he tried to not show his surprise at the physical contact. "Honestly… we can never repay you for everything you do for her. If it weren't for you…"

Her voice trailed off into nothingness, and Toby saw her swallow. What was it about this family that made it so unacceptable to show any form of emotion? Even when their child's sanity was hanging by a thread, the Hastings' still seemed intent on not letting anyone look into their soul.

"She's my whole life, Mrs. Hastings," he said simply. "Without her… I wouldn't know myself from a hole in the ground."

They fell silent. Neither of the Hastings' doubted the truth of his words. They had seen the way he looked at her. The tenderness in his eyes, the passion, the shameless abandon. It had always been that way, and it hadn't wavered since this whole ordeal began.

And they had seen how she looked at him. How even now he could light up her whole face, make her smile when she'd been difficult and closed off all day. Only he could bring out in old Spencer in her. If only for a moment.

A small, frightened noise suddenly erupted from behind Toby, and immediately he abandoned his chair. He had to fight the instinct to rush over to her, knowing she did better with slow, easy movements.

"Hey," he said gently, moving over to sit beside her. One hand rested on her knee and the other curled around her hip. "It's okay. We're at your parents' house."

He watched her take in her surroundings, and let out an unconscious breath of relief. She'd had an episode right before she fell asleep, but now there was stable look in her gaze and he knew she'd be all right for now. He smiled, reaching out to smooth a strand of hair away from her eyes.

She mumbled something, and he leaned in closer.

"What?"

"I want to go home," she spoke in a tiny voice.

"Okay," he said at once, standing up and offering her his hand.

Her home was with him now. Back in July, when everything happened, she had been hospitalized for weeks on end. Her physical injuries had been minimal, but the damage done her to mind had kept her in the psyche ward longer than Toby was able to stand. She hadn't done well in this sterilized, impersonal environment, where strange men in white coats looked at her like she was crazy and talked about her as if she wasn't in the room.

When the talk began of having her transferred to Radley, he snapped.

"She's not going back there," he had told her parents through gritted teeth.

"Toby, we don't like it any more than you do," Veronica assured him, "But we're at our wits end. She can't be alone even for five minutes; she needs constant care. We can't give her that."

"I can," he said impulsively. "I'll take care of her."

"You have a job, just like the rest of us," Peter argued, "It's unrealistic to think–"

"I'll figure something out."

"Toby–"

"She's not going back there!"

They had never seen him angry like this before, his eyes blazing, his voice shaking with controlled rage. Spencer's timid, soft-spoken boyfriend… who they had always privately believed to be somewhat of a pushover. Now it was crystal clear that he was anything but.

Somehow they had confused being genuinely kind and altruistic with not having a backbone.

Veronica squeezed her eyes shut. "Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

Peter stared at her as if she'd lost her mind, but when his wife shot him a look that could kill, he kept his mouth shut. Eventually even he gave his consent.

And so, by the end of the summer, she was moved in with him. He had worked out a schedule at work were he only had to be on site four days a week, and he'd found someone to stay with her on the days he was gone. Mondays it was either Peter or Veronica. Tuesdays and Wednesdays it was Emily and Hanna, respectively. Both girls had arranged their classes at Hollis to make time for the friend that took the brunt for them. And on Thursdays, Jason would come.

Just like he showed her parents just now, he had taught her friends and brother the techniques on how to comfort her. How to reach her when her mind played awful tricks on her, making her relive her horrors over and over again.

Fridays were his day off, and he would take her to her weekly appointments with Dr. Sullivan. So far, they weren't exactly doing wonders, though. She would sit on the couch in hostile silence, after refusing to even go in if he wasn't in the room with her. It was as if she was so terrified of being asked to verbally relive her trauma that she just shut down completely. Dr. Sullivan remained patient, but privately she confessed to Toby that she was at a loss and felt that he could help Spencer far more than she could.

"You're the one she chose," the doctor told him while Spencer was using the bathroom.

"To do what?" he wanted to know, although deep down he already knew.

"To trust that you'll love her through anything," was her answer. "My guess is that when and if she decides to talk, it will be with you and you alone."

Currently, Veronica looked almost heartbroken that her youngest daughter wanted to leave the house she had lived for over eighteen years for the place she'd been only been at for a few short weeks. Nevertheless, she hugged her, cradling the back of her daughter's head for a moment before stepping back and allowing her husband to embrace the girl.

"I'll see you Monday, champ," Peter spoke with uncharacteristic gentleness.

Both the Hastings' gave Toby a thankful nod before he placed his hand in the small of Spencer's back and led her outside. It was strange how they felt so indebted to him, so endlessly grateful for his ability to handle the tragic mess their once golden child had become, but still couldn't muster the courage to give the kid a hug.

After everything, he still called them Mr. and Mrs. Hastings.

October

Jason tried his very best to ignore the pins and needles attacking his right foot. He attempted to stay as still as possible, not wanting to disturb his dark-haired half-sister as she leaned against him in the quiet.

She had been fine all day. She'd been somewhat talkative, read her books, watched reruns of Friends and even smiled once or twice. At one point she had even sort of reminded him of the bossy kid next door – the one he'd butted heads with on more than one occasion while they were growing up. Secretly, Jason had always sort of admired her spunk, but it wasn't until he was a grown man that he realized he'd been drawn to it because he recognized it in himself.

But then it happened. Something set her off – he didn't know what – and she disappeared it a world that was entirely her own. She buried her face in her arms, curled up into a ball and swayed neurotically back and forth, terrified gasps coming from deep within her.

For a moment he felt paralyzed with fear, but then he remembered Toby's step-by-step instructions.

Say her name. Touch her shoulder. If she seems okay with that, wrap your arms around her and try to make her feel safe.

"How long?" Jason had wanted to know. He'd noticed how Toby kept her close long after she stopped hyperventilating. She would seem calm on the outside, but Jason knew out of experience that if they let go too soon, it left her feeling confused and vulnerable. More often than not, she would relapse into an episode within the hour.

"She'll let you know," Toby told him, "You hold her until she lets you know she'll be okay on her own."

And indeed, Jason had seen it. He'd seen it with himself, with Emily and Hanna, and with Peter and Veronica. She would stay in their arms for a long time, until she suddenly lifted her head and gently broke free, usually to get a glass of water. After that she typically avoided eye contact for a few minutes. It had broken his heart when he realized it was because she was embarrassed.

With Toby, it was slightly different. Instead of moving away, she would push closer. She'd be resting in his embrace like a rag doll, and suddenly her arms would reach around him. Her face would bury itself in his neck or his shoulder, and she'd donate into the embrace instead of just taking from it. She never walked away from him. Even after they loosened their hold on each other, she would stay nearby.

Jason glanced down at her head resting against him, her straggly curls splayed across his shoulder. She had been calm for while now, and he knew she was in that in-between stage where she was no longer being confronted with her demons, but not quite ready to face the real world yet either.

His head shifted at the sound of the front door opening behind him. He couldn't turn far enough to see who it was without disturbing Spencer, but soon he was met with the familiar sounds of Toby hanging up his jacket and tossing his keys in their usual spot.

The carpenter smiled slightly at the sight before him. Spencer tucked underneath her brother's arm on the couch, her legs pulled up against her chest and her hands resting on her knees. She didn't look up at him, and when Jason moved to get up so Toby could take his place, the younger man stopped him with a short shake of his head.

He sat down on the coffee table across from them, and reached out to place one hand on Spencer's bare foot.

"Hey, beautiful."

At the sound of his voice, she lunged forward. He was there to catch her, draping her across his lap and pushing her tousled hair away from her face with one hand. She smiled at him, and Jason marveled at how a smile could be so happy, and yet so sad.

Jason stood, walking towards the bathroom, not really in need of it but wanting to give the young couple some space. He was startled to feel tears prickle in the corners of his eyes.

Damn kids. Sometimes he thought they knew more about love than he ever would.

He returned to the main area of the loft a few minutes later, seeing that the brown-eyed girl and the blue-eyed boy were in the same position as the one he'd left them in. Toby still held her across his lap, but Jason noticed instantly the atmosphere in the room was very different, though he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

And then he heard it. A soft giggle. Her giggle.

"How was your day?" Toby was asking her.

"Good," Spencer answered, and Jason felt a small tingle of pride that seemed almost ridiculous under the circumstances. It had been a good day for her. Only at the very end had it gone wrong…

"Yeah?"

She murmured affirmatively, and he leaned in and kissed her.

"What about you? How was your day?" she asked softly when they broke apart, her finger trailing his jaw.

"Well…" He kissed her again, "I'm only just getting to the highlight right about now."

And there it was again. Her light, feathery giggle. Jason wished he could catch it in a jar, give it to her parents and friends, to all the people who wished they could elicit that sound from her lips.

Ten minutes later, the pair was in the kitchen making pasta. Although she was remarkably calmer now that her boyfriend was around (her movements were always more awkward and hesitant when he was gone; she would startle more easily and mumble rather than talk), the somber look had returned to Spencer's eyes. Even Toby couldn't make her stay carefree for long.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" he inquired.

"Nah, I promised my mom I'd stop by her place." It was a blatant lie, but Jason couldn't stand the thought of butting in on their time together. He dropped a kiss on his sister's head. "See ya, Spence."

"I'll walk you out," Toby offered, after a glance at Spencer to check if she'd be all right alone in the room when it was getting dark outside. Sometimes she didn't make anything of it, and other imes he would return to find her trembling on the floor.

"She reacts well to you," Toby said once they were out of earshot. "I don't worry as much when you're with her."

Jason failed to mask his surprise. He often felt so helpless around her that it was hard to feel like he was doing anything right. He studied the younger man carefully.

"I take it her parents aren't handling it very well?"

Toby sighed. It felt wrong to speak ill of the Hastings' when they were finally making an effort to put their daughter's needs above their own. One day a week off work – even if it was for the two of them combined – was a huge deal for them. "They're trying. But you know how appearance is everything to them. It's hard for them to accept this is who she is now. She senses that, and it causes a rift between them."

Jason nodded. It was only too easy to imagine. He hesitated. "What about Melissa?"

Toby's shoulders tensed, and Jason immediately regretted asking.

Melissa had been involved in some shady business, but in the end everyone agreed it was obvious she had been trying to act in Spencer's best interests all along. However, Melissa was still Melissa. She loved her younger sister to the point that she would risk her life trying to protect her, but she also couldn't stand her. She remained petty and jealous, and had dropped more than one less than subtle hint that she believed Spencer was faking her episodes – or "fits" as she called them – for attention.

She had even lost it once. Right in the middle of one of Spencer's episodes, Melissa had screamed for her to man up, pull herself together and return to the life she had so meticulously planned out for herself. This was back when Spencer was still in the hospital, and not even Toby had been able to calm her hysteria after this cruel and unnecessary outburst. Tears had streamed down his face as he watched the doctors sedate her, and afterwards he'd made the Hastings parents promise they would never allow Melissa to be alone with Spencer under any circumstances.

"Haven't seen her in weeks," Toby said tersely. "She's not handling it at all."

Jason wasn't surprised.

It was Toby's turn to ask a question now.

"Have you heard from…?"

"Alison?" Jason shook his head. "No. Nothing."

There was nothing to be said about Alison, other than she was good at running. Lying and hiding were the things she excelled at, and while his mother was still hopeful she would come home, Jason had given up yearning for her presence in his life. She was his sister and he would always love her, but he also couldn't ignore the role she had played in the events that had transpired on that tragic night. How she had taken the coward's way out, while his other sister had stayed and would probably pay the price for the rest of her life.

"I should…" Toby jerked his head towards the kitchen, where Spencer was still hunched over the stove. She moved with none of that brisk Spencer-esque confidence, but other than that he might as well have been looking at a scene from Before.

"Of course. See you next week."

"Yeah. Thanks, Jason."

To be continued…