I Didn't Choose This Life
Chapter One: The Note
Summary: Melissa asks Spencer to raise her daughter, leaving Spencer in a tough situation with only her friends and boyfriend to get her through it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars.
The life that Spencer Hastings had envisioned for her had never included raising a baby right after graduating from high school. And of course, she never envisioned herself raising her older sister's baby at that. But that is exactly what happened. You see, 2 months before graduation, Spencer moved out of her parents' house and moved into a little two bedroom apartment. Yes, her plan was to make one of the rooms into a nursery for when she would watch her niece or nephew, but what she hadn't planned on was having the nursery ready so that she could raise her niece or nephew. But, as fate would have it, just days after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl, Melissa Hastings left the baby girl on her sister's doorstep with a note and an incomplete birth certificate. Now wanting to turn her back on her niece, Spencer took the baby into the nursery and laid her down before going out to the living room to read the note from her sister.
'Spencer,
I am sorry for the way that I treated you when it came to Ian. But it has been 6 months since everything happened between you two at the church and he hasn't come back. I know what I am asking you to do is going to be difficult, but don't think I am asking you to do this alone. But right now, I don't think that I can raise my daughter. I'm not ready for that and I don't want to treat her the way mom treated us. So please, please raise my daughter for me. I have already talked to the girls and they are all willing to help you. I even talked to that boyfriend of yours and he has agreed to help as much as he can. As for the birth certificate, everything except for her name has been put in. Please name my daughter for me. And don't worry; I won't be mad if you have her last name as Hastings, or even Cavanaugh. Below is my new cell phone number. Once you figure out a name for her, please give me a call. I would like to know what her name is. Also, one of mom and dad's associates has just hired me, so I will be sending you a check each week to help pay for my daughter's upbringing. I know I haven't really showed it much, but I love you Spencer.
Love,
Melissa
P.S. – my new phone number is (215) 635-4772'
Once Spencer had read the note and looked at the birth certificate, she pulled out her cell phone. If the girls and Toby had already agreed to help raise the baby, she figured that they should help name her as well. Opening up a new text message, Spencer types a simple message and sent it out. A minute or two after Spencer had sent the text, there was a knock on the door. Curious as to how one of her friends or Toby could have possibly gotten to her apartment so soon, Spencer got up and went to open the door. Upon opening it, Spencer was met with a UPS delivery man who had a stack of boxes on a dolly.
"Are you Spencer Hastings?" the man asked.
"Yes I am; what can I do for you?" Spencer replied as she eyed the pile of boxes.
"I have a delivery for you from a Melissa Thomas. Do you know who that is?" the man asked as he looked down at his clipboard.
"That's my sister." Spencer said with a nod.
"Will you please sign for these boxes then?" he asked turning the clipboard around so that Spencer could sign. "Your sister sure did send you a lot of stuff." He commented as Spencer signed.
"It's understandable though." Spencer replied as the delivery guy wheeled the dolly into the apartment.
"How is all of this understandable?" the guy asked.
"That's really none of your business." Aria replied from the doorway.
"My apologies; I'm overstepping. I've done my job and now I must depart." He said before grabbing his dolly and leaving.
"Thank you for coming Aria." Spencer said with a smile.
"No problem. Can I see her?" Aria asked while she looked around the living room.
"Just as soon as Emily, Hanna and Toby get here. But you can start opening the boxes if you would like to." Spencer replied while Aria walked over to the stack.
"What is all of this stuff anyway?" Aria asked as she opened the first box.
"I'm guessing that it's all of the stuff that Melissa had bought for her." Spencer replied as she grabbed 5 glasses out of the cupboard and placed them on the counter.
"What did Melissa name her?" Aria asked as there was a knock on the doorframe.
"Can we come in?" Emily asked with a smile.
"Come on in guys." Spencer said as she ushered them in and then closed the door behind her friends.
"Where is the little one?" Toby asked as he walked over and gave Spencer a little peck on the forehead.
"She's in the nursery. But before I bring her out here, I need to let you all know that Melissa left the name up to me. She doesn't care which last name I give her, whether it is Hastings or Cavanaugh, but she would like me to tell her what name I choose." Spencer explained.
"What are you going to name her?" Toby asked as his eyes lit up at hearing that his girlfriend's niece might have his last name.
"I haven't decided. But since you all have agreed to help me raise her, I would like you all to help me name her." Spencer admitted.
"Well then, let's bring her out here and see what she looks like." Hanna said rubbing her hands together in excitement.
"Han, Em, can you to help Aria unload the boxes? And can you come with me Toby?" Spencer asked.
"No problem Spence." Emily said with a smile as she walked over to the stack of boxes, moved the one that Aria was going through to the side, took another one and stared taking things out of it.
Once Spencer and Toby were a little bit more out of ear shot of the girls, Spencer turned to her boyfriend.
"I'm really going to need your help with all of this Toby." Spencer admitted.
"I'll always be here Spence." Toby said as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "And it's okay to admit to me and the girls that you're scared Spencer. We aren't going to judge you on that." He added softly as he pulled her to him and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.
"Toby, I'm beyond scared. I'm petrified. There are so many things that are going through my mind that could go wrong with raising her that it's hard for me to even consider the possibility that I'll be a good mother-figure and aunt to her." Spencer said in one breath before she let out a sob and leaned against Toby's chest.
"Hey, we're all here for you; and we're all willing to help you through this. Sure, there will most likely be things that go wrong, but that's life. Not everything in life is easy. If people didn't make mistakes, then they would never really learn anything, and they wouldn't be able to properly grow as a person." Toby said as he rubbed Spencer's back to calm her down.
"You really are an amazing boyfriend Toby." Spencer said as she pulled away slightly so that she could look up at him.
"And you are an amazing girlfriend; you are going to be an amazing mother-figure and an amazing aunt to the little girl behind that door. With your guidance in her life, she will grow up to be smart like her mom and aunt, and she will grow up to be beautiful, and she will grow up with everyone in this apartment standing behind her, supporting her in every decision that she makes. I don't like seeing you doubt your abilities to raise a child Spencer. It hurts me to see you like that." Toby said as he tilted Spencer head up and lightly kissed her lips.
"Thank you Toby." Spencer mumbled against his mouth.
"You're welcome. Now, let's go get that baby girl and show her to your friends; we can't keep calling her 'her' and 'baby girl'; she needs a name." Toby said as he took Spencer's hand in his and walked forward and quietly opened the nursery door.
End Chapter One
Three Possible Baby Names:
Carina Sophia Cavanaugh
Amanda Destiny Hastings
Or Cheyenne Andrea Thomas
Which name do you all want the baby girl to have? Whichever name gets to 5 points first wins.