I have been following Season 7 recaps but not watching (I don't have cable) so this story isn't canon at all. I just really love Spencer & Caleb together, sorry to all the Spoby/Haleb shippers. I started writing this to appease my own shipper heart :) Hopefully it's not terrible. I'm not a writer, I don't even know why I'm doing this or how long it'll be.

I don't own anything related to Pretty Little Liars.

Spencer swallowed the lump in her throat as the cab rolled up to her childhood home. She had been gone nearly a year. She didn't know why, but she expected things to look different. Maybe it's because she was different. But the house looked the exact same. Quiet. Dark. Her parents must be working. For some reason she felt like she was intruding on the empty house.

She paid the cab driver for the ride, and a generous tip to haul all her luggage to the door. She grabbed her purse and the only other thing she really cared about and carefully made her way to the door kitchen door.

She noticed the light on in the kitchen and was panicked and relieved at the same time. It would be easier to get this over with before settling in for the night. She just wished she didn't have to do it this way.

"Hi Mom."

It was as if Veronica didn't hear the younger Hastings. If she did, she didn't react right away. Then, realizing the voice was real, she looked up from her papers and looked into her daughter's eyes for the first time in 10 months. A gasp flew out of her mouth as she jumped to her feet. Spencer wasn't sure she had ever seen her mother display that much emotion outside of the courtroom.

"Spencer? You're here?" Veronica could hardly believe it as she rushed over and swallowed her prodigal daughter in tight hug. Spencer was caught off guard; her mom was definitely not a hugger. Maybe some things had changed.

"What are you…how…when did you…" Veronica couldn't seem to put together a coherent sentence, she needed to know everything. It was then that her eyes widened when she realized what was sitting on the floor next to Spencer.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet my son, James."

Flashback

Spencer's had clutched her stomach, her other hand tightening around the pregnancy test. No, no, no, no, no, this cannot be happening. Not now. They were so careful. She was so careful. After the scare with Toby she had never wanted to be in this situation again.

She sat on the bed, her back hunched over. What was she supposed to do now? What do you do when you find out you're pregnant after breaking up with the father of the baby? The father who had just gotten back together with his ex. Who happens to be your best friend? Could things be more fucked up? How had this happened?

Of course she knew. She was far from stupid. She was the super genius after all. She knew that they had plenty of opportunities to have this happen. But she was so careful. She was on the pill and they always used condoms. Who gets pregnant using two types of birth control?

Now what. There was the logical, practical choice. The one she had considered all the years ago, with Toby. It would have made sense back then. She had so much in front of her. She was healing from everything that had gone down in high school. She was considering her masters. She was living life, finally. A baby with Toby would not have been right.

But that decision was made for her. She remembers the relief she had felt when the test was negative. She didn't have to decide. But then it also meant saying goodbye to Toby. Either way that probably would have happened. They weren't looking at the same picture, after all.

This time though things were different. She wasn't in college. She could support herself. Caleb would be a good dad. It would kill her to see him happy with Hanna, and oh gosh, would Hanna be her child's stepmom? For some reason that thought made her simultaneously laugh and cringe.

What was she thinking about? Oh right. Getting rid of "it". Despite knowing it was the logical choice, the one that would cause everyone the least amount of pain, she didn't really want to think about it.

Maybe her feelings for Caleb were getting in the way of the rational part of her brain, but she couldn't think about removing this piece of her and Caleb, or giving it to someone else. Even though things didn't work out the way she wanted, she couldn't help but think that maybe this was the way her life was supposed to be. Maybe she could raise this child and give it all the love she wished she had had when she was younger. Getting pregnant on two forms of birth control has to be some sort of sign, right?

End flashback

"Your son?" To say Veronica was surprised was inadequate. Gobsmacked may be a better term.

Spencer swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew this would be the first of many difficult conversations. She only hoped her mom would be on her side when she told her the story.

"Yes. My son. That's why I had to leave. When I found out, we were still dodging A, and things were getting worse. I couldn't handle the thought of me or him being threatened; it would have put everyone in danger. So I made it look like I had left for Europe. I've actually been in Arizona."

"Arizona? Why Arizona?" Veronica wrinkled her nose, as if the state was beneath her daughter.

Her mom really was in shock. Normally she didn't feel the need to repeat facts back like this. James had started fussing so Spencer gently unbuckled him from the carseat and lifted him up. He was going to be hungry soon.

"I thought it sounded like an unlikely place to find me." Spencer smirked. "Would you like to hold him?"

Veronica looked apprehensive at first, but one look at the little boy snuggled into Spencer's shoulder softened her. She reached out and carefully pried him from Spencer's arms. He made a face at first but once he was settled in Veronica's arms he went back to sleep. Her first grandchild. If she thought she was happy to have Spencer back she couldn't even put into words how she felt looking down at that sweet face.

"He has the Hastings jaw." Veronica smiled at Spencer.

Spencer beamed at the observation, so proud of her son.

"And his father's eyes."

It was quick, but Veronica caught the slight flinch in Spencer's face at the elder Hastings' second discovery. It was evident that Spencer still had feelings for her son's father.

"I didn't even say who the father was."

"Spencer, honestly. It's not hard to do the math. James looks to be about three months old, based on that you left seven months before he was born. I know you were with Caleb then. Unless you cheated on him, but that doesn't seem like you."

"Really Mom?" Spencer quirked an eyebrow. "Ian? Wren?"

"Oh please, that was years ago. Youthful indiscretion that I should hope you learned from. Besides, you have to do a lot more than kiss to make a baby."

"Well, you're right."

"I know. Besides, even with knowing all the facts, you can tell just by his eyes. He's Caleb's."

"Yes, he is." Spencer sighed.

Veronica was about to question her daughter further, but James decided then that he needed to eat. Since Spencer was still nursing there wasn't much Veronica could do to help. She watched as her daughter pulled a receiving blanket out of the diaper bag and took the screaming infant from Veronica's arms. Veronica marvelled at Spencer. The girl was completely unfazed be her son's sudden demand for food, as she calmly spoke into his ear as she adjusted him in her arms. Once he found what he was looking for under the blanket, Spencer turned her attention back to her mother. She realized the older woman had been watching them.

"You're so good with him."

"I've had some practice." Spencer smirked.

"No, it's more than that. You're a natural. I remember when you were that age. I would have thrown you out the window for screaming like that. In hindsight, I probably suffered from postpartum, but that wasn't something people knew about back then."

Spencer was surprised at the confession. Normally her mother was guarded, and rarely divulged such personal musings. She could tell that it probably wasn't as serious as her mother made it seem, but at the same time it explained a lot about her childhood.

"I take it Caleb doesn't know?"

Spencer shook her head. She knew there'd be more questions.

"I left before telling him. Before telling anyone."

"But why? I understand keeping it a secret. Things were definitely dangerous with Noel & Jenna running around doing God knows what. But why not just tell Caleb?"

Spencer looked down at James as she gathered her thoughts. Why indeed?

"We had just broken up. He was back together with Hanna. Part of me was afraid that he would come back to me because I was pregnant. Part of me wanted that to happen. But I couldn't live with myself if it did. He was so happy. But a bigger reason was A-I mean, Noel & Jenna. They wouldn't have hesitated putting me or James in danger. And if Caleb had known, he would have done anything to protect us. The girls too probably. But especially Caleb. If I had told anybody, it would have been more ammunition, another way we were vulnerable. I had to leave. I couldn't handle anything happening to James. Even before I knew it was him, I felt like that's the only thing I could do to protect this little person growing inside of me."

Veronica was quiet as she took in everything her daughter had to say. She knew Spencer would have had good reasons for doing what she did. She was a Hastings after all; she thought everything through. And as much as she wished she could have been there for her daughter, she knew that Spencer was right. There wasn't anything else she could have done to protect not only herself and James, but everybody close to them.

"I think you did the right thing. I just wish I could have been there to help you, but I know why you had to disappear. And it must have been difficult to do all this yourself." Veronica blinked back tears as she thought of everything her daughter had to go through.

"I made a couple friends where I was. I wasn't completely alone. But yes, it would have been nice to have been here. I don't regret the choices I made though. I really don't think I had another option."

As Spencer had talked she had been burping James, who had finished eating. He was quickly falling back asleep and Veronica noticed the bags under her daughter's eyes too. Of course, the poor girl must be exhausted.

"Well, I am happy you're here now. Thank you for telling me all of this. But I think this little man needs to go to bed, and you could probably do with some rest as well. You look like you're going to collapse any moment."

"Thanks Mom, and you're right, I'm exhausted. Could you take him while I get his playpen set up in my room?"

"Of course. Come to Grandma, sweetheart."

Spencer smiled as tears came to her eyes. She could have fallen apart right then. She was so grateful to be home, grateful that her mom was ok with everything, grateful especially with how much her mother already seemed to love James.

"What is it?" Veronica's eyebrows knit together in concern at the tears forming in her daughter's eyes.

"I just…thank you. It's nice to be back."

Veronica stepped over to Spencer and embraced her with her empty arm as she cradled James in the other one. There was a time when both Hastings women would have choked back the emotions and bid each other good night. But tonight neither could help letting a few tears fall, happy for different reasons to have the other back in their life.