Hi, guys! Here is yet another story. A different kind of Sparia tale. This story is not for the faint of heart.
Warning: This story contains rape, abuse, extreme violence and torture - triggers.
Perfection isn't just something to strive for by Harvard-bound kids and wannabe entrepreneurs. Perfection is an art. An art that has to be mastered if you want to truly be successful. Spencer Hastings had been taught from the moment she was born that everything had to be perfect. That she had to be perfect.
The Hastings's family always had to have the best. The fanciest cars, the biggest house, the top-notch family. It was so programmed into Spencer that she didn't know of anything else.
All she knew was that she had to have the best of everything.
And that included Aria Montgomery.
Stockholm syndrome (n), or 'capture–bonding', is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages expresse empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them.
Aria shifts uncomfortably in her chair. It's steel and she's used to plush. It's cold in the room she's in and too small - Aria's used to big, luxurious rooms. The table in front of her is metal and it makes Aria think of jail. She shivers and wraps her arms around herself. She doesn't like it here. It's unfamiliar. She isn't with the person she needs the most. The man across from her has short blond hair and green eyes. He had recently shaved, but you could still see some stubble.
Officer Hendricks is printed neatly across his name tag.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
He's cute. Handsome, even. But he isn't her.
"Aria, how long did she keep you for? Do you remember?"
Aria tugs on her frayed hoodie and pulls her knees up to her chest. Her eyes are bloodshot and there's a stitched gash above her right eye. It smells like coffee and cigarette smoke in the interrogation room, and it makes her head spin. It makes her think of her again.
Officer Hendricks flips to a page on his notepad and uncapped his pen. "Aria, you have to talk to me. How long did Miss Hastings keep you for?"
"Spencer." Aria's voice was barely audible, and Officer Hendricks leans in closer to her.
"What?"
"Her name is Spencer."
One year ago, a then-twenty-one-year old Spencer Hastings had kidnapped a then-sixteen-year-old Aria Montgomery of Rosewood, Pennsylvania. From the moment she'd met her (the daughter of one of her father's business clients) she'd know that she had to have her. Not having her simply wasn't an option. The two had become good friends, despite the five-year age difference. One day, Spencer took Aria on a 'surprise' road trip to New York - and never looked back.
New York.
Massachusetts.
Wisconsin.
Florida.
They had moved all across the United States of America in just under the span of one year.
As Claudia and Celeste.
As Darla and Patricia.
As Xena and Yolanda.
But never as Spencer and Aria - Spencer couldn't take the risk of anyone finding out that Aria was Aria, an alleged "runaway" from Rosewood, Pennsylvania. She couldn't lose her Aria.
Officer Hendricks nods and jots the name down on his pad of paper. "Yes, it is. Can you tell me what happened? You've been missing for a year, Aria. Have you been with her this whole time?"
"Yes."
Officer Hendricks sighs. He has to get more out of her. "Can you tell me what she did to you? Where is she now?"
Aria casts her eyes down to the dirty tiled-floor. Her knotted hair hangs in waves down her back. Several seconds pass before she speaks.
"She rescued me."
New York City, June 20th, 2012
"Hello, New York!"
Aria Montgomery threw her hands up as she walked through Central Park, holding a smoothie in one hand and a camera in the other. She turned to Spencer, her hazel eyes wide with excitement. "I can't believe you brought me here! But I wish I had my phone. It was kind of silly for you to forget both of our phones when you packed our bags."
Spencer Hastings grinned sheepishly. Aria looked so cute when she was excited. "I know. It was a silly mistake. We'll call your parents later. And I thought you deserved it. You've been such a great friend to me, after all."
Aria laughed, the sound ringing like bells in Spencer's ears. "Well, you're welcome. But you've been a great friend, too. I can't believe my parents just let you take on a road trip to New York."
Spencer nodded. If only Aria knew...
"So, at the time, you didn't know that she was planning to kidnap you?"
"She didn't kidnap me. I told you, she rescued me," Aria spits out in a icy tone. She doesn't want to be here. She doesn't understand why everyone is so mad at Spencer. She didn't do anything wrong. Right?
"Aria, what she did -"
"She loves me!"
"You know what would be fun?"
Aria and Spencer were at 'The Loeb Boathouse' in Central Park. The restaurant was tiny, and overlooked the lake. Lights shined above them, bright and illuminate. The lights reflected off of the water and Spencer really couldn't stop staring at Aria. She just...looked so beautiful.
Aria glanced up from her menu and grinned. "What would be fun?"
Spencer rolled her tongue around in her mouth and leaned forward one eyebrow raised and a small smile on her face. "What if we...pretend to be other people? You know, give ourselves new names and background stories. And if anyone asks who we are, we have to go by the character we created."
Aria's eyes lit up. "So, it's sort of like we'd be in a play?"
"That's right. However, there should be rules and-"
A waitress interrupted them to come take their order and Spencer's mouth snapped shut. She quickly gave the waitress her order and shooed her away, ignoring the rude look she was shot.
"Anyway," Spencer's gaze landed back on Aria. "As I was saying - we need rules for our game."
"Like what?"
"Like...we can't ever break character. Ever. No matter who talks to us, we have to pretend we're the character we came up with."
"Okay, easy enough."
Spencer sighed with relief. This was going to be easier than she thought. "We can't have any contact with our family members or our other friends."
Aria's face fell. "What? Why not?"
"I-it would ruin the game," Spencer said calmly. "If we talked to them as ourselves, we would be breaking character, right? That's rule number one. And we can't tell them we're playing a game, because that breaks rule number three."
"Number three?"
Spencer sipped from her glass of ice water. The cool liquid trickled down her throat, soothing her nerves. "The third and final rule - we can't let anyone know we're playing a game. It'll ruin all the fun and hard work we put into it."
Aria traced her finger over the rim of her glass. Well...it did sound like a fun game. "Okay," she agreed. "I'm in. Let's play!"
Spencer brightened. "Excellent. What do you want your name to be?"
"Olivia Hartland," Aria answered automatically. "From Denmark, Illinois. Uh, only child to...Frank and Margaret Hartland, but I'm with my cousin who is..."
"Riley Parker. Only daughter to Weston and Grace Parker, from Denmark, Illinois. I decided to take my younger cousin Olivia on a trip to New York."
"Perfect," Aria beamed.
Spencer nodded, falling silent as their food arrived. When the waitress left, Spencer picked up her glass and held it out to Aria. "A toast to...good times with friends. A toast to Miss Olivia Hartland."
Aria raised her glass and it clinked it against Spencer's. "And a toast to Miss Riley Parker."
Spencer sat back and sipped from her water, watching Aria carefully.
Perfect, indeed.
"Aria..."
Aria looks up. Her eyes are watery and her throat feels tight. She just wants to go back to Spencer. But Spencer is gone. She took off when they were caught. "She loves me. I know she does."
"What she did to you wasn't love. She kidnaped you, Aria. She kept you hostage She's hurt you. She kept you away from your family and friends. Your parents and your brother have been so worried about you. They're here, you know. Right out that door. Would you like to see them?" His voice is soft and gentle. Aria knows he wants to help her. But...no. He doesn't need to help her, to..what, fix her?
There's nothing to fix.
Aria shakes her head and gnaws on a heart-shaped pendant that Spencer once gave her after she'd been particularly cruel to her. "She...she wouldn't like it."
"Aria, honey..."
Aria flinches and pulls up her knee to her chest, resting her chin on them. "Can you...not call me that? I...only Spencer can call me honey."
"Did Spencer give you that necklace?"
Aria combs her fingers through her dark, dirty hair. She nods. "Yes," she whispers.
Officer Hendricks's eyes move from the gash above Aria's right eye to the pendant and finally to her left wrist - it's bruised and badly healed. Aria probably hadn't received proper treatment. "What else happened?"
"S-She got really mad at me."
Boston, Massachusetts, 12:45PM, July 1st, 2012
One month ago, Spencer had taken Aria on a trip to New York. And they hadn't gone home. Instead, they'd taken a plane to Boston, Massachusetts and were living in and out of hotels.
At first, Aria thought it was just an extended vacation. Another surprise from her friend Spencer. In New York, they had had a fabulous time. Food from street carts and Broadway musicals. Strolls through Central Park in the evening before they settled into their hotel for the night. They made s'mores over candlelight and shared gummy bears and boxes of chocolate. Before they went to bed their first night there, Aria had wanted to call her parents and Spencer explained she'd already taken care of it while Aria was showering.
And she had. She'd used a pay phone and called Aria's parents and told her that if they ever came looking for her, if they dared to contact the police, or in any way, threatened her time with Aria, that she would kill her. She'd hung up, just like that. Aria's parents had no idea where their daughter was and poor Aria thought they knew she was in New York.
It was going to hurt Aria later on, but it had to be done.
On their last night in New York, Spencer and Aria had taken a ferry around Staten Island. It was the first time Spencer kissed Aria. Aria had, for a second, kissed back but then pulled away, shocked and embarrassed. Spencer was twenty-one. Aria was sixteen. It just..felt weird.
Spencer had laughed and brushed it off as nothing. The next day, they flew out to Massachusetts.
When they settled into their hotel room, Spencer had made it very clear that Aria wasn't now, nor was she ever, going home. Aria was Spencer's now and that's how it would remain. They'd come up with the names Claudia and Celeste McCanner, a pair of sisters who were on a vacation from their hometown of Beaverton, Oregon. Spencer didn't allow them to do anything and they'd just stayed in their room, watching TV and movies.
"Spencer, I -"
Spencer's head snapped up, her eyes sharp. "What did you just call me?"
"I-I meant Claudia. I-I'm sorry. It...it was a slip up."
Spencer's eyes hardened. "You know not to call me that! You call me Claudia. I am Claudia, you are Celeste. Do I make myself clear?"
Aria's eyes swept to the bed comforter. She didn't understand. Spencer was supposed to be her friend, so why was she doing this? "Y-yes, Claudia."
"Good Girl, Celeste. Good girl."
Aria's nearly in tears now and it makes Officer Hendricks wince. This poor girl is only seventeen and she'd been through her own personal hell.
"Did she hit you because you called her Spencer?"
Aria tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and shakes her head. Her stomach growls, a reminder that she has yet to eat. But...even if she asked for food, she couldn't have any. Spencer had to feed her.
"No."
"Then why did she hit you?"
Aria runs her fingers of her left hand over the smooth wood of the table in front of her. "She didn't hit me because I called her Spencer." Her voice is thick, almost breaking and she has to tear her eyes away to the floor. "She punched me because..."
Officer Hendricks gets up and walks around the table to crouch in front of Aria. He gently reaches a hand out to lift her chin up. "Why, Aria? Why did she punch you?"
Aria shuts her eyes and sniffs. She just wants to be with Spencer. And Spencer told her if they were ever caught, then to stay completely silent and not talk to anyone.
Especially the police.
But..Officer Hendricks, he would understand, right? He would understand that she and Spencer were in love. And he would let her go.
"I left the room without her permission."
Boston Massachusetts, 7:09PM, July 1st, 2012
Aria fidgeted. She only had a few minutes. Spencer was in the shower and Aria didn't know when she would be out.
The lobby was packed. Parents with children. Arguing couples. A blind man used his walking cane to feel around, his Golden Labrador faithfully beside him.
The dog made Aria think of her own dog back home - Harry Pawter. She was a huge fan of the Harry Potter series and the name had popped into her head immediately when her family brought the dog home.
Sighing, Aria turned to the front guest counter. The phone that guests could use, free of charge, was untouched and it called to Aria like a beckoning light. She picked up the phone with a shaking hand and pressed number 9 to dial out.
Then her phone number.
She pressed the phone to her ear, listening to it ring. "Come on, come on. Pick up. Please pick up."
And suddenly, she was being forcibly pulled away, the phone falling from her hands and dangling by its cord an inch away from the waxed tile floor.
Spencer gripped Aria's arm tightly. Her hair was dripping wet and she had one of the white robes they were provided with. Her eyes were cold and dark. Almost black. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she hissed, yanking harder on Aria's arm.
"I-I was, I just.."
"Did I say you could leave?"
"N-no."
Spencer started to drag Aria through the hotel's lobby, loudly exclaiming, "Aria, sweetie, you know how sick you are. You can't leave the room again, okay?"
And as they stood in the elevator, just before the doors closed, Aria met the eyes of a little girl standing by the front desk.
The whole ride up to their floor was silent, save for Spencer's ragged breathing and disapproving grunts. Aria's heart was pounding so hard against her chest she was sure it would burst.
The doors opened with a ding and Spencer shoved Aria out into the hall. "Move!" she snarled. "Go! Walk."
When Aria only trembled in her spot, Spencer let out a groan of frustration and dragged Aria all the way down the hall to their room by her hair. Once inside, she slammed Aria against the door and pinned her against it.
"I can't believe you disobeyed me!"
"I-"
"Shut up! I didn't give you permission to speak." Nails dug into Aria's shoulders hard enough to leave little red marks. "Aria Jean Montgomery, don't you ever fucking do that again. You are not to go anywhere without me. You are not to use the phone. You are not to listen to the radio or watch what I don't approve of. Do. You Understand?"
Aria didn't dare point out that Spencer had called her by her name, something of which she wasn't allowed to do to Spencer. "Yes, C-Claudia."
Spencer smirked and released Aria. But before Aria could move, Spencer's fist smashed into Aria's stomach and she let out a loud, painful gasp, collapsing to her feet.
"Consider that your punishment for leaving."
And Spencer walked away, leaving Aria huddled into a ball on the floor.
Aria can't look at Officer Hendricks. She can't help but think that he's probably ashamed, disappointed in her, like Spencer always was.
"I-" She squirms until Officer Hendricks sits back down in his own chair. "After that night, she didn't allow me to eat unless she fed me."
Officer Hendricks abandons his pad and paper and instead laces his fingers together, his head bent down. "Aria..."
The tone in his voice causes Aria to look up.
"This isn't your fault," he continues. "None of this is your fault. Spencer is very sick, okay? She-"
Aria leaps to her feet and throws her chair across the room. One of the chair's legs snaps off and narrowly miss Officer Hendrick's head. He rises immediately, his hands out in front of him.
"SHE IS NOT SICK."
Boston, Massachusetts, July 2nd, 3:05PM, 2012
"Oh, come on, you have to have something. Tylenol. Advil.."
Aria dug through Spencer's purse in search of medication. She wasn't feeling well and didn't know what else to do. Spencer was out in the hall, smoking a cigarette.
Spencer, who had to have everything organized, had a pretty messy purse - packs of gum, cartons of cigarettes, four wallets, makeup, various items. It was hard to find what she wanted.
Aria's hand closed around a pill bottle and she grinned, pulling it out. But it wasn't your average medication - it was a prescription bottle.
Loxapine - Take one dose three time a day, everyday
Name: Spencer Hastings
Address: 2317, Rosewood, PA
Number of refills left: 10
Dr. Sherman, Michael
There was a ton of information on the bottle, but Aria couldn't make sense of it. Her heart was racing and she felt dizzy. What...what was Loxapine used to treat? Aria glanced at the door behind her and quietly dug through Spencer's purse, searching through pockets. There were two other prescription bottles:
Prozac, Risperidone.
All of the pill bottles were completely full.
"Aria?"
Aria shoved the items back into Spencer's back and shot to her feet, whirling around.
"..What are you doing?"
"I-" Aria swallowed hard. "I was just...looking for some Advil. But -"
"What did you see?" Spencer snapped, charging over. "Did you go through my purse?"
"Only for a second, I -" Aria searched Spencer's eyes. They were wild and she looked unhinged. "...I didn't find anything."
Aria pounds her fists against the wall until Officer Hendrick wraps his arms around her small body.
"Aria, Aria, stop! Stop it! I've got you okay? I've got you."
Aria tries to claw away from him, but she's weak - drained of energy from lack of food and sleep. So she falls back into his arms, tears rolling down pale cheeks.
She brought up the medication once to Spencer - and that had resulted in a split lip and broken nose. But Aria had forgiven her, because Spencer wasn't sick.
She wasn't.
"S-she isn't sick. I love her. P-please...please just let me go back to her."
Park Falls, Wisconsin, August 15th, 2012
"How about we get something to eat?"
"How about you fuck off?"
"Patricia, that isn't very nice of you."
"Well, I don't give a rat's ass, Darla," Aria spat through a clenched jaw.
Aria was sick of playing this game. She was tired and wanted to go home. She hadn't spoken to her family in months. The only person she communicated with was Spencer or whatever the fuck else she decided to call herself.
Aria fingered the necklace Spencer had given her the day after she'd punched her in the stomach. Spencer had kissed her when she'd given it to Aria, and told her for the first time, that she loved her.
Later that night, Aria still felt Spencer's kiss on her lips and no matter how hard she rubbed them, it wouldn't go away. It was the first mark of many.
Now, Aria and Spencer were in their room of Northway Motor Lodge, located in Park Falls, Wisconsin.
The hotel had a game room and bowling lanes. They'd spent two hours in the game room, playing pool and various card games. Spencer had smiled and laughed and said things like,"Good shot, baby doll!" and "Way to go, love bug!"
But Aria wasn't Spencer's baby doll or her love bug. She was her prisoner.
Sometimes, at night, Spencer kissed her or touched her, even Aria didn't want it. At first, she fought against it, but when Spencer took away her food, Aria learned quickly to return Spencer's affections, as sick as they were.
"Patricia. Are you being disrespectful?"
"No," came the automatic response.
Spencer stubbed out her cigarette and sat down on the bed, gently stroking Aria's thick hair. She leaned closer, lips against Aria's smooth neck. "You know how I don't like it when you're rude."
"I..."
Aria shut her eyes, willing Spencer to go away. She just...she didn't want this. "I know, sweetheart. I know. I'm..sorry."
Spencer scraped her teeth against Aria's neck. "Let's do something to pass the time, okay?"
Her hands slipped under Aria's top and Aria tightened her jaw.
"...Okay."
"Why don't we take a break?"
Officer Hendricks is starting to feel sick. He knows he's supposed to be strong for the victims, but this is something he hasn't dealt with yet, and he needs a break. As does Aria.
"I...I'm not allowed to go outside without-"
"Spencer," he finishes and shoots her a sad smile. "Aria, Spencer isn't here, remember? You can go outside and everything will be just fine."
But Aria still looks uncertain so Officer Hendricks sticks his head out of the room and speaks quietly. A few seconds later, he pulls back into the room with a blanket in one hand.
"Your family is waiting for you in another room, okay? You don't have to see them until you're ready. Would you like a blanket?"
Aria nods and he hands it over. She drapes it around her shoulders and covers her head with it. The blanket is soft and warm. It reminds her of Spencer's embrace.
When Officer Hendricks gently places his hands on Aria's shoulders, she flinches but slowly relaxes. She allows him to guide her out into the hall, past the numerous desks, pass other interrogation rooms and out the front doors of Rosewood Police Station.
It's warm, the evening night air. Aria sits down on a log and watches as Officer Hendricks lights up a cigarette. The way he inhales and exhales makes her think of her Spencer.
"We...made love, you know. For the first time, when we were in Wisconsin. It was the same night we arrived at the hotel."
For a moment, Officer Hendricks doesn't speak, but then he asks in a quiet voice, "Did you want to?"
Aria stares at a worm crawling by her feet. Spencer never liked worms, so Aria squishes it with her left shoe. "I was scared. I didn't want to do it, but Spencer said that's what people in love do. So...so it was okay and we had sex. Sometimes I didn't want to have sex, but...she made me. Eventually, I got used to it and started to initiate it."
Ocean Ridge, Florida, 9:53PM, September, 2012
"Stop, that tickles!"
"Make me!"
Aria pushed Spencer away, breathing hard. It was hot in Florida, and they were sweaty. Spencer's tank top clung to her body. "I said stop, Yolanda!" she squealed.
"You're not very playful today, Xena,"
"I' m tired, Yolanda. I'm just really sleepy.."
Spencer pinned Aria down on the bed and leaned down to kiss her. Aria returned the kiss, but it was weak and soft. Spencer liked hard and aggressive.
The look on Spencer's face made Aria sigh, so she flipped them over so she was on top and straddled her waist. This time, when Ari kissed her, it was just the way Spencer liked it.
Aria was never going home, so she figured she'd might as well get used to being with Spencer. She reached over and turned off the single lamp that was on, encasing them in darkness.
Aria isn't aware that Officer Hendricks is sitting next to her until he touches her shoulder. She jumps violently, and he's quick to apologize.
"I'm sorry." He inches away from her to give her some comfort room.
"Officer Hendricks?"
He flicks his cigarette away and smiles at her. "You can call me Brant."
"Brant. Okay. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Aria."
"Do you think Spencer is okay?"
Brant scrapes his tongue against his teeth. Truthfully, he doesn't know. Most kidnaps, when caught, either kill themselves or kills themselves and the child. But his team had gotten to Aria before Spencer had had the chance, and then she was gone - vanished without a trace.
There's a team out looking for her, but he doesn't want to tell Aria that.
"I don't know, Aria."
"..Oh."
She kicks a stick away from her. "...Do you think she still loves me?"
"I think...Aria, I think Spencer will, in her own way, always have her love for you."
He doesn't know if it's the right answer, but he notices the way her lips turn up at the corners.
It's the first time she's smiled since she was brought back home.
Aria stands up and leans against the nearest tree. She tilts her head back. Trees, moss, leaves, cigarette smoke, nature-the scents are reminding her of Spencer. They once went camping in Michigan.
When they stayed in a wooded area in Arizona, Spencer had smoked six pack of cigarettes in just three days because she'd had to punish Aria for eating on her own.
That was the night Spencer had broken Aria's wrist.
Aria's hands drift to her pajama pants and she presses the pads of her fingertips against her thighs. She can feel her bruises and bite marks. Large welts from where Spencer was rather fond of using a belt.
There were cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. Her entire torso. Burn marks left memories forever engraved into her skin. Spencer liked to add to the pain by slicing the burns with shards of glass or a pair of scissors. A rusty nail. Whatever she found laying around, she used.
Aria shut her eyes, her nails piercing into her thighs.
Dallas, Texas, October 9th, 3:15AM
"Wake up. Luna, wake up."
Aria groaned and swatted Spencer away. Spencer's knees were digging into her thighs. "Mm, g-go away, Lily."
"No, you have to wake up."
Aria opened her eyes and peered at Spencer through the dark room. Spencer smelled heavily of cigarettes and coffee. And a little bit of vodka.
"What?" Aria muttered groggily.
Spencer toyed with Aria's top. "It's time for our game, Luna."
Game? What- Oh, God. No. Please, no. Not again.
"L-Lily, p-please..."
"Hush now, Luna."
The light Spencer snapped on was unexpected and Aria shrieked, shutting her eyes tightly.
"Please..."
"Strip."
Aria stood up on her knees, already starting to shake. She peeled off her clothes, piece by piece and by the time she was done, Spencer was grinning like a madwoman.
Spencer reached out, fingers trailing over a three-day old burn mark above Aria's left hip. "Such lovely handiwork. Lovely, lovely handiwork.."
Aria thought differently, but knew better than to say anything.
Spencer's fast to bound Aria to the bed by her ankles and wrists. The rope cutting into her skin was thick and Aria twisted and tugged and yanked, desperate to loosen the knots. But she always failed.
"Miss Luna..."
Aria shut her eyes. "L-Lily..."
Spencer grabbed a roll of duct tape and taped Aria's mouth shut, using five separate strips of tape. Just to be sure. Then she kissed her lips through the tape and crawled off her.
"It's late and we wouldn't want to wake anyone, now would we?"
Aria shook her head no.
Spencer got out her whip and ran her hands over it, admiring the thick leather. "Ready?"
Aria didn't move.
The whip came down hard and fast, slashing gashes into Aria's thighs and stomach. The first crack was hard enough to make Aria cry out, the sounds muffled by the tape.
The second was enough to make her bleed profusely.
And the third, was enough to make her back arch out of pain. But she couldn't cry. Crying would only result in a harsher punishment.
"Good, sweet girl." Spencer purred. "My perfect little buttercup."
Spencer set the whip down, but Aria knew better to be revealed. It wasn't over yet. Blood covered her thighs and stomach, tickling onto the mattress beneath her.
Spencer picked up a salt shaker she kept handy in her bag and turned to Aria with a mocking, cruel smile.
"Mm, now comes my favorite part."
The next day, while barely able to breathe without crying, Aria was forced to clean up and make Spencer breakfast. The small condo they'd rented in Dallas had all the comforts of home, really, except someone who loved her.
"Aria?"
Aria's eyes snap open. Officer Hendricks - Brant - is front of her, brows furrowed in confusion and worry.
"You went somewhere. Are you okay?"
Aria shrugs and pushes herself up off the tree. She picks up the blanket she left on the log and drapes it back around her small frame.
"Can we go back inside now? I'd...like some water. I mean, i-if that's okay."
"It's perfectly fine."
Inside the interrogation room, Aria nurses a cup of hot chocolate (which sounded a lot better than water) and she watches as Brant writes in his notepad.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm making a record of what you've told me."
"Why?"
"Well, in case - are you enjoying your hot chocolate?"
Aria shrugs a shoulder and sips quietly from her mug. She waits for him to answer her question and after a few moments of silence pass, she decides not to press the issue. What if he shot her or something?
"Do you have kids?" Aria hears herself ask.
Brant's hand pauses and he glances up with a smile. "I have three. Two daughters and one son. Stacy, Tara and Jameson. You remind me of my eldest."
"Really?" Aria cocks her head, tightens her grip around her mug. Was she a disappointment like Aria?
"Yes. Stacy is very sweet like you."
Aria hides her smile behind her mug. "Where are they now?"
"At home, with their mother."
"What's your wife' s name?"
"Tracy."
Aria hums in response and ducks her head down, as if suddenly embarrassed. "Spencer and I talked about kids once," she blurts out.
Yakima, Washington, December 25, 2012
"Merry Christmas, Aria!"
It was a special occasion, Christmas Day, so Spencer had allowed Aria to call her by her birth-name and vice versa.
"Merry Christmas, Spencer!"
The two were in a condo in the snowy area of Yakima, Washington, cuddled together on the couch in front of a crackling fireplace. The radio played "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" while they sipped hot chocolate and munched on sugar cookies.
Since the night Spencer had beaten her close to the brink of death, Aria had clung to Spencer like a lost puppy. Whenever Spencer took Aria shopping for new clothes, Aria kept her head bent down and her arms wrapped firmly around Spencer's arm the whole time, unless she was trying on clothes.
In restaurants, she didn't speak and let Spencer order food for her, even if Aria didn't like it. Spencer still had to feed Aria, so Aria just sat on Spencer's side of the booth.
Aria wasn't allowed to watch TV, but had once passed a TV in a store that was playing the local news. She'd watched about forty-seconds of a story about her disappearance before Spencer roughly yanked her away. They immediately left the store and the state they were in.
Aria didn't open her mouth until they were in a new state, in a new hotel. She'd asked Spencer if her family was looking for her, and Spencer had said that it was only for the public.
Aria's parents wanted the public to think that they cared about their daughter, but they really didn't. And Aria was quick to accept this as fact. Aria needed Spencer to eat. Aria needed Spencer to shower. Aria needed Spencer to sleep.
Her Spencer wouldn't lie to her. Her Spencer loved her and only punished her when she deserved it, which she often did.
And Aria loved her Spencer. Spencer had taken care of her all these months.
Spencer broke off a piece of her cookie and fed it to Aria, murmuring, "I love you."
"I love you too."
The reply didn't feel forced - it felt right. Didn't it?
"We'll have beautiful children together, won't we?"
Aria giggled. "Benjamin and Faye, right?"
"You remembered. Good girl, Aria."
Aria cuddled into Spencer. "You're never going to leave me, right? Ever?"
"Never."
Brant's eyes flicker to diamond-studded earrings in Aria's ears. "Did Spencer give you those earrings for Christmas?"
Aria smiles, reaching her hands up to touch them. "Aren't they gorgeous?"
"They're very nice," he replies carefully. "Aria, can we talk about...yesterday?"
Aria's smile fades away and she lifts the hood of her sweatshirt up and pulls on the strings until Officer Hendricks disappears from view.
"T-that was a horrible day. It was the day my Spencer left me."
One day ago, New York City, 8:02PM, June 21, 2013
"Are you happy to be back in New York?"
Aria beamed at Spencer over the rim of her margarita. The hotel they were in overlooked the city. "I love it here!" she gushed. "Can we go see a play?"
"Sure, we can."
"And can we go on another ferry ride?"
"Of course."
Aria leaned into kiss Spencer and just before their lips touched, the world exploded into heavy black smoke.
"GO, GO, GO!"
What the -
"FREEZE! POLICE. HANDS UP!"
The...the police?
Aria screamed. The smoke was too thick for her to see through. She only heard shouting and movement. Spencer started swearing in French and Aria tried desperately to peer through the smoke, to see her beloved.
But instead a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind. A man's face materialized out of the smoke. He he on a dark uniform and a face shield. "I'VE GOT HER!"
No.
"LET GO," Aria screamed, twisting and thrashing about. Spencer...Spencer would help her.
Only...
She hadn't heard a thing from Spencer. She distinctly remembered hearing a door slam, but...but had had been the cops, right?
The smoke finally cleared and through watery eyes and a coughing fit, Aria saw five more policemen in her room. Broken glass. A smashed table. But..
- Spencer was gone. She was nowhere to be found.
"Aria Montgomery? Aria, you're safe now. We're going to take you back home to your family."
My family?
She was gently tugged along, and as she passed another cop, she heard him mutter to his partner, "I want a round-the-clock search for her. Spencer Hastings won't get away."
But she had.
And she left her Aria all alone.
Present Day, Rosewood, Pennsylvania, June 22nd, 2:04PM
Aria is crying now. Tears stream down flushed cheeks. She's crying so hard she can barely get another word out.
She just can't believe it. Spencer had promised she wouldn't leave her. And she had. She left her with strangers. Uniformed men who piled her into a car and drove all the way to her hometown.
Uniformed men who took her to a fucking hospital, who called her parents in the hotel lobby of New York to tell them they'd found their daughter.
Those men took Aria to the hospital and allowed nurses to check her over. She had cat scans done and x-rays. Her wrist was bandaged. The gash above her right eye had been stitched up. Creams were applied to her burn marks. She was given plenty of food but refused to eat any of it.
After a night in the hospital, she was released long enough so she could talk to the police and see her family, but would have to go back. While in the hospital, she flat-out refused to see them and made such a fit that her family agreed not to see her until the next day.
Everything had happened so fast and it made Aria sick to think she might never see her Spencer again.
When Officer Hendricks stands up and asks her if she'd finally like to see her family, she can only nod. The door opened, followed by footsteps and hushed voices.
Aria expected Spencer to walk through the door instead and when her family appeared in the doorway, she fell into a deep black hole when she should have been floating on a cloud.
Three Weeks Later, Aria Montgomery's bedroom, 4:52AM, July 13th
"Spencer," Aria murmurs.
She tosses fitfully over in her bed, twisting herself up in dark pink sheets.
Sweat makes her dark locks stick to her forehead. Her nightshirt clings to her body.
"Spencer..."
"Dad, I don't understand why I have to go to this stupid party your lawyer is having."
"Aria, be nice. You'll have fun. Your mom and Mike went out tonight and you're not doing anything, so I figured you'd tag along. We'll have a great time, you'll see. The Hastings family are very nice people."
"Stuck-up assholes."
"Aria Jean Montgomery!"
"Sorry..."
When they pulled onto the Hastings's street, it was already lined with cars and Aria and Byron had to park a block away. Aria grumbled and bitched the entire walk to their house and by the time they knocked on the door and were let in by a woman who introduced herself as Veronica Hastings, Aria was ready to snap her heels off of her shoes and impale everybody.
So while her father mingled with his lawyer and his snooty wife, Aria lounged by the staircase, drinking from a red SOLO cup. There were plenty of people to converse with and kids her age, but Aria paid them no mind.
Having quite enough of watching rich people being smug, Aria turned and wandered up the stairs. The hallway walls were lined with pictures of Peter Hastings and his family; his wife Veronica and two daughters, Melissa and Spencer - Aria hadn't met either of them. Good.
Aria slipped inside a room and left the door open a crack. The walls were white, but that was the only plain thing about the room. The walls were decorated with hundreds of certificates and awards. Trophies and ribbons lined dressers and bookshelves.
Everything was in place and Aria noticed that even the corners of the bed comforter were tucked in at equal length. Geez, what kind of uptight brat lived in this room?
"Can I help you?"
Aria whipped around, her drink nearly slipping out of her grasp.
Before her, stood a taller girl, a few years older than herself. She had chocolate-brown eyes and wavy, dark and luscious hair that flowed down her thin shoulders. She had on a short, black dress and black ballet flats. A necklace hung around her neck and Aria's eyes fell on the 'S' pendant.
So she was -
"I'm Aria," she blurted out dumbly.
The girl's lips curled up into a smile. "Ah, the daughter of father's favorite client. Montgomery, correct?"
"Y-yes."
"Nice to meet you, Aria. I'm Spencer."
Spencer stepped closer and Aria stepped back.
"I-it's nice to meet you, too."
"Do you always sneak into stranger's rooms, Aria?"
"N-no." Aria's face flushed red. "I was downstairs and the party was so boring. I...I'm sorry. I just wandered upstairs and in your room. And, I, um...it's very nice. Tidy."
Spencer chuckled. "You speak fast when you're nervous. How old are you?"
"Sixteen. Yourself?"
"Twenty-one."
Aria ran her tongue over her teeth. "So, uh, how come you're not away at school?"
"It's summer, Aria."
"...Oh. Right."
Spencer smiled and sat down on her bed, patting the empty space next to her. Aria hesitantly perched on the end.
"Your father was right - you're a very pretty girl."
Aria blushed and ducked her head. "T-thanks, So, uh, mind if we hang out for a bit? I really don't want to go back downstairs."
"Not at all. In fact, I was hoping you'd show up tonight. I was curious to meet you."
Aria grinned. "I guess it's fate that we met then, huh?"
When Spencer smiled, Aria couldn't detect if she was happy or...what?
"Maybe, Aria. Maybe. But perhaps it is a curse."
Aria sits up in bed, breathing hard. She is now drenched in sweat and her heart is pounding. Ever since she'd come home, she'd had the same dream of how she and Spencer met every damn night.
Her parents and Mike had been a little too watchful of her. A little too eager to be around her, and Aria knew they'd been worried, but it was weird. She wasn't used to being with family.
Aria swings her legs over the side of the bed and when she looks up, she screams.
Spencer is sitting in her desk chair and she rises to her feet in a flash, hand over Aria's mouth. They pause and listen, but no one comes running.
Spencer removes her hand from Aria's mouth.
"God, you don't know how much I've missed you."
Aria's mouth is dry. There's enough moonlight shining in through her windows for her to see that Spencer's hair is shorter and she's dyed it blonde. "-Spencer?"
"Yes, baby doll. I've missed you. I'm...sorry I left you, but I had to get away."
Aria twists the strings of her pajama shorts around her fingers. "I..I thought you didn't love me.."
"I'll always love you."
Spencer helps Aria to her feet and pats her shoulder. "Aria. You have a choice to make."
"...A choice?"
Spencer grips Aria's hands. "Your first choice is to stay here. Tell me you don't love me and I'll leave. Your second option..."
"What is it?"
"You can come with me and we'll live the life we've always wanted to."
Spencer's eyes are piercing through her and Aria swallows. The beatings, the name-calling, the control...
She doesn't want to go through that again. But Spencer loves her. She won't hurt her. Not now. Not ever again.
Aria shuts her eyes momentarily and when she does, she misses Spencer's sinister, sly grin.
"Well?"
Aria opens her eyes and brings one of Spencer's hands up to her lips to kiss it. "What the hell are we waiting for?"
Spencer smirks and together, they pack a few of Aria's bags and quietly slip out of Aria's window. Aria forgets to ask how Spencer got in her house to begin with.
A quote flashes through Aria's mind, but it's quick and she forgets it immediately.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
So what did you guys think?
Please leave feedback - negative or positive! I'm halfway done with the next chapter of A Little Thing Called Love, so be on the lookout!
You guys are amazing.
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