A/N: I want to thank all the lovely people on Tumblr that first sent me a prompt based on this idea, and then encouraged me to write it as a full fledged fic of this. So thank you guys 'cause without you guys, this wouldn't even exist!

Reviews and feedback is always welcomed!

Ch. 1 - The Accident

As soon as Spencer walked through her bedroom door, she tossed her bag onto the red chair near the window before immediately crashing down onto her bed. She let out a groan mixed between exhaustion and relief to finally be home as her hands flew up to her forehead. Nobody was home, and Spencer was glad to have the peace and quiet to herself for a bit. Between two tests, French tutoring directly after school and accompanying Aria and Hanna Emily's swim meet, Spencer was worn out. Her day had been long, and particularly extra stressful with her day beginning with an argument with Melissa, that led to a full blown fight with her father. To top it all off, Spencer had another test tomorrow, along with two essays due.

Her stress level really wasn't dropping anytime soon.

Spencer let out a loud aggravated groan when she hears her phone ringing from her bag. She's tempted to ignore it, to let it go to voicemail so she could continue to enjoy the slim amount of time she has to herself, but at the last minute, decided to get up to answer it, praying for the person on the other line that it's an emergency so she doesn't snap on them for picking a terrible time to call in.

With one glance at the name calling in, however, all of Spencer's annoyance was washed away and replaced with a happier feeling. "Hey you," she said, answering her phone, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Hey yourself," said Toby into the phone. "What are you up to?"

"Just getting home from school."

"Just getting home? Spence, it's almost six," said Toby with a laugh.

Spencer sighed. "Trust me; I know what time it is. Emily had a swim meet today, and Aria, Hanna and I agreed to go for some moral support. Emily helped bring the win home for Rosewood, though, so that was good," she said, stifling a yawn.

"You sound exhausted," mused Toby.

"You don't know the half of it." Spencer heard the door opening downstairs, followed by footsteps. She was unable to suppress a groan. "And it looks like my time enjoying my empty, quiet house without my family is gone."

"Uh oh. I'm sensing some tension in the Hastings household."

Spencer moved her bag to collapse down onto her chair. "You don't know the half of it. I got into a fight with Melissa this morning, which led to one with my father because of course he takes her side over mine. And now I'm sure one with my mother is coming soon, since she always takes his side. Just a typical day in the Hastings household."

"You know, you could always come here to escape them," pointed out Toby. "Get away to unwind and relax. I gave you a key to my place last week for a reason."

Spencer closed her eyes, memories from last week flooding into her mind. They were sitting on Toby's couch after just finishing Chinese food, their favorite takeout food, when Toby presented her with a thin, rectangular red box. Inside of it was a key to Toby's place. "Just in case you ever need a place to hide out or get away when I'm not around," Toby said casually, trying to downplay the importance of the gift he was giving her. Spencer responded by pulling him in for a long, passionate kiss, showing him exactly how much a gift like that meant to her.

Spencer touched the chain around her neck that held the key to Toby's place ("The chain hangs down low enough that the key rests perfectly over my heart," Spencer told Toby the day she decided to put it on a necklace), a soft smile touching her lips. "I guess I should make use of that key already, huh?" Spencer heard Toby laugh. "Are you home from work?"

"Not yet. I'm actually leaving now, so I should be home in about twenty minutes."

"Maybe there'll be a surprise waiting for you when you get home then," replied Spencer.

"A surprise, huh? And does that surprise come in the form an incredibly beautiful, tall brunette?" Spencer could hear the smirk in Toby's voice.

"Maybe…" said Spencer, trailing off.

"Maybe I'll hurry up and get home then."

"Maybe you should," said Spencer before hanging up. She stood up and headed towards her bathroom, her mood lifting with thoughts of her boyfriend heavy on her mind.

Xx

Fifteen minutes later, with new makeup freshly done and her hair styled to her pleasing, Spencer was ready to leave for Toby's. She grabbed her purse from her room, and after a second thought, knowing she'd most likely be at Toby's late, grabbed her bag and laptop too, hoping to finish her essay at his place (even if that did seem unlikely), before heading down the stairs.

She found her mom in their kitchen fixing a salad when she came down. "Bye mom," Spencer mumbled, moving past her to head out the door.

"Wait!" her mom called, and Spencer regrettably stopped. "And where are you going?"

"Out," said Spencer simply.

"Out where?"

Spencer gave her mom a look. Her parents use to never care where she went, so long as she wasn't out all night, and didn't come home drunk. "To Toby's," she said slowly, knowing that part of the reason her parents were less trusting of her, besides everything that happened with Mona, was because of her relationship with Toby.

"You know your father doesn't like you going over there," pointed out Veronica Hastings, her hands moving to her hips.

Spencer rolled her eyes. "Of course he doesn't, because he doesn't approve of anything I do."

Veronica rolled her eyes, matching the look on her daughter's face. When the duo argued, it was hard to deny that they were related. "Stop trying to make your father out like he's the bad guy. He's just looking out for you."

"If he was looking out for me, he'd actually stop and listen to me and take my side once and a while."

"Is he looking out for you when he doesn't like you going to Toby's unsupervised."

Spencer rolled her eyes again. "No, that's him trying to keep me from seeing Toby."

"Well now you're just being dramatic," said Mrs. Hastings. "It has nothing to do with your relationship with Toby."

"Uh, in case you haven't noticed, mom, but it does. Face it, dad hates Toby for no apparent reason. You both do!"

Veronica threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Now you're being ridiculous. Stop acting so immature, Spencer."

Spencer ran a hand through her hair, knowing that there was no possible way to win this argument. "Whatever, I'm going out."

"No you're not, not to Toby's. You father doesn't like you there, and that's final."

"I guess I really don't care, do I?" said Spencer angrily, storming out of her house before her mom could stop her. Ignoring her mom calling her name, she ran to her car, looking to avoiding getting completely soaked from the pouring rain, slamming the door to it as she got in. She pulled out of her driveway and started down the road, speeding well over the speed limit.

A few minutes into her drive, Spencer felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She reached to pull it out, relieved to see it was Toby calling, rather than her parents. "Hi, I'm on my way," she said, answering it.

"I got home to find no surprise waiting for me," pouted Toby into the phone. "I was starting to think you forgot about me."

"I know, I know. Sorry, I'm running late, but don't worry I didn't forget about you."

"You okay?" asked Toby. "You sound even more worked up than when I last talked to you." Toby heard Spencer sigh into the phone. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. It's just my parents as usual," said Spencer in frustration. "Do you know that now my father doesn't approve of me going to your place?"

"What? Why?"

"Because going to your place means spending time with you, of course," said Spencer, the anger seeping through her words. She let out a bitter laugh. "I wonder what he'd say if he found out I have a key to your place."

"Spencer," warned Toby. "I know what you're thinking. Don't tell your parents you have a key to my place just to piss them off. I don't want to go to completely not seeing you."

"They can't keep me from seeing you, so don't worry. I wouldn't give you up just for them."

"Still," said Toby, his calming voice the polar opposite to Spencer's angry one. "Don't say anything that you know is going to start another fight with them. It's not worth all the stress."

Spencer sighed. "I know, I know. It's just-"

"Just nothing. Forget about them for now, and get your pretty little butt over here to see me instead."

Spencer couldn't help but to smile, her sour mood slowly fading away. "I'm coming as fast as I can," Spencer said, noting how she was doing almost twenty miles over the speed limit. "I love you."

"I love you too," replied Toby. Spencer heard him utter something else to her, something about being careful, when a deer ran out in front of Spencer's car. The rain was coming down worse, and Spencer noticed the deer a little too late.

She screamed on instinct, panicking as her foot slammed on the break, while she swerved to avoid hitting the deer. She dropped her phone, as Toby screamed her name into the phone, in order to grip her steering wheel with both hands. Her car slid on the wet road, and rushed to spin her steering wheel in the other direction. Instead of coming to a stop, however, Spencer's car slid even more before tipping over. It did two complete rolls, Spencer's head smashing off the driver's side door's window glass, before it stopped moving, the car totaled in the middle of the street.

Spencer could see blood trickling down from her head, her eye sight fading as her eyes fought to close. Everything around her seemed hazy, and Spencer could only note the muffled sounds of Toby's voice calling her name from her phone. "Toby," she attempted to call back before drifting off completely into unconsciousness.