AN: Spencer and Toby the morning after the night they spent in the motel talking about their relationship. Inspired by "The Best Thing" by Relient K. I do not own anything in this story.

I'll go back to before we met, try and erase the past, try harder to forget because nothing will ever be as good as here and now.

It was an early November morning in a motel on the outskirts of Rosewood. Spencer Hastings found herself waking up from the best night's sleep she had in weeks. Momentarily disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings, she quickly recognized her now ex-boyfriend's familiar embrace that surrounded her. She smiled for a moment loving the exact situation she was in, but was suddenly overtaken with a feeling of panic as a million thoughts raced through her mind. While still feeling the comfort of the strong arms around her, she couldn't help but wonder what it all meant. She was never one for uncertainty in any situation. She needed to know precisely what was happening and why. But this situation had her head spinning. Had she made a mistake staying here?

The past few weeks had been a living hell for her. After finding out the love of her life had betrayed her, she was a mess. She was forced to go from loving him to hating him within seconds, and then found what she believed to be his dead body before she was even able to sort out how she felt about him, she lost it. Upon hearing the news that he was alive, a whole different whirlwind of emotions overcame her, but nothing compared to the range of emotions she felt when she actually saw him in front of her. Her head wasn't clear, and it hadn't been for a while. So, was this just another bad decision? Sure they had talked a little bit but she didn't get even a fraction of the answers that she needed from him. She wanted more than anything to be with him again, but had she jumped the gun?

After laying awake for what seemed like hours, she felt Toby's grasp on her loosen up as he pulled away. The hesitant nature of his movements told her that he was having some of the same qualms as she was. Despite how long they had been apart, she could still read him like a book. She covered herself with the sheet as she slowly turned to face him in a similar position they had been in the night before.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Good morning," she answered nervously.

There was a brief moment of silence as both waited for the other to be the first to speak.

"So..." she began.

"So, last night was... Wow," was all he could come up with.

"Yeah, who saw that coming?" She laughed, "but about that," she interrupted thinking she knew what to say next. "What was that?" she finally managed to ask.

"What do you mean?" he asked uneasily.

"I mean, was that real? Did it actually mean something? Or are we both just so good at making bad decisions these days that it was just another one to be added to the list?" She asked unable to look him in the eye anymore.

"It definitely wasn't a bad decision," he answered softly unable to look at her either, "at least not to me."

"Then what was it?" she asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"I don't know," he lied. He didn't quite have a clear answer to that question either. He had hoped that they could get back on track without needing to have the inevitable awkward conversation, but he knew even better that Spencer was not one to let things go so easily. The only thing he was sure of is that this was the best he had felt in the past several weeks and he knew only she could make him feel that way. He knew what he wanted, that hadn't changed, but she had always been a bit more closed off. "What do you want it to be?" He finally managed to ask her in hopes that she felt the same way he did.

"I don't know," she said and he couldn't help but give her a questioning glance. "Ok, yes, I do know. But Toby you have to understand what I've been through. I want so badly to forget it all ever happened but I don't know how I can ever do that."

"Spencer, as much as I wish I could, I can't take back what I did. And I can't apologize enough. But at this point all we can do is move forward from it," he said as he tried to maintain his composure and not break down like he had the night before. "That is if you're willing to."

She thought for a moment. This whole time she wanted nothing more than to have him back. She went to such great lengths to prove he still loved her, but all her efforts seemed to be hopeless. But here he was telling her again that she was right all along and she wanted so badly to believe him. As he reached for her hand again, she knew what she had to say.

"Look, last night was amazing, and I wish it could always be like that, but there are some things we need to make clear," she told him.

"Like what?" he asked as he sat up.

"Like no more keeping secrets from each other. Ever again," she stated firmly.

"Of course not," he answered immediately.

"I mean it Toby, no more secrets. That's what's torn us apart every other time, and if we get back together, I don't want to let it happen again."

"It won't. I promise," he said with pleading eyes and all the confidence he could muster up, "I'm not going to let it."

Her heart sank a little bit as he spoke. "I know you won't," she smiled.

He leaned over and kissed her; a kiss that she gladly returned. "So what do you say?" he asked with more confidence than he had all morning, "do you think we can make it work this time?"

"Yeah," she answered as her smile grew bigger, "I think we can."

He smiled as well as she pulled him back down so now he was laying on top of her as they kissed slowly. They stayed in this position several more minutes before they broke apart.

"So, about tomorrow night," she began.

"Come on, Spence, this has been such a great morning, let's not ruin it with A talk."

"We have to talk about it. I have to protect my friends from whatever Mona or Red Coat is planning on doing to them."

"Nothing is going to happen to them," he assured her while lightly rubbing her shoulders, "we won't let it. I don't know what they have planned, but we'll come up with something to make sure we're a step ahead of them."

"Ok, well I have to get to get ready for school. I don't know how I'm going to face the girls now that they know I've been working with Mona."

"They're your best friends. They'll understand. And who knows, if everything goes right maybe by tomorrow this will all be over."

"I hope your right," she said with unease as she started to get up from the bed, "I don't want to make any plans about this without talking to them first. I'll call you when I talk to them and we'll figure this all out together."

"Sounds like a good idea. But do you really have to leave just yet? You can't stay for just a few more minutes?" he pleaded still holding onto her hand.

She thought about it for a second, "well maybe just a few more minutes," she said as she slid back into the familiar position that she had gotten so comfortable with the previous night for a quick repeat before going back out to face the real world again...