The universe had a sense of humour... Spencer understood that now. She had spent years building up a spotless reputation, all for it to land her in this moment right now. Or in retrospect there had been many moments that lead up to her current situation.

Spencer looked in the mirror and frowned. "When did I become one of those girls" She had spent the last five minutes trying to pick out an outfit that would be perfect for her date with Toby. Now, Spencer wasn't the type of girl who would normally dress just for a boy, but tonight she was making an exception. Tonight was the night Spencer had finally managed to gather up her courage for... the first time she was going to say the 'L' word.

Like everything else in her life, Spencer had chosen not to just casually fling the word around. To Spencer the only time it should be said is when you were convinced that it was true. That you knew somehow you wanted to be with the other person forever. And she finally felt this way. Without saying a word, Toby could comfort her. Without trying he made her smile, he would. Without knowing it, he had earned her trust. With every little thing he did for her, he earned her love. And Spencer was finally ready to tell him that.

Her parents, even after the investigation on her was dropped, refused to let her see Toby in the fear it would drag it back up. While Spencer respected that her parents had her best interests at heart, she couldn't stop seeing Toby. So they had decided to meet at the motel that had really started their relationship. In a weird way Spencer was glad their date was there, it seemed the perfect place to tell him. It meant something to them, and that made it perfect to Spencer. And if a Hastings' is planning something, perfection is a must.

Hearing her phone beep, she glanced at it quickly seeing that it was Toby she smiled as she opened it.

I'm at the motel. Same room. Coincidence huh? Toby

She bit her lip deciding that she did have to leave soon; she threw on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a champagne coloured lace vest top. Not much but it would have to do.

She chapped softly on the door, which creaked open quickly revealing Toby standing at the other side smiling at her.

"Hi." She said simply.

"Hi." He replied stepping aside to let her in. "So please tell me you didn't bring scrabble?"

"Why afraid you'd lose?"

"No, I'm afraid you'll get sulky when you lose. You know again." Toby's eyes sparkled as he said this, seeing the slight scoff from Spencer.

"I hate you." She shot back.

"No you don't." He laughed. "If you did you wouldn't be here."

"OK fine... But I would kick your ass if we played scrabble again."

"Is that a fact?" Toby laughed.

"Yes. Yes it is." Spencer nodded fighting to keep the smile of her face, but failing when she seen Toby smile at her. Deciding that now was as good a time as any she took in a deep breath before turning to face Toby properly.

"There's something I need to tell you. Something that's not so easy to say..." Spencer started as she seen Toby pale, smiling slightly to try and re-assure him she kept talking. "I guess... That day on your porch, when I came to help with your French, I was sort of surprised you didn't throw some form of glass object at my head and tell me where to go. I had been so horrible to you, and yet you still didn't slam the door in my face immediately. I don't know... I guess it was then that I really learned that I had got you so wrong. You weren't anything like what I had always thought. Over the next couple of weeks, you became more important to me. After a while, it was like I wanted to see you every day. I know between stake-outs and cryptic messages we never met under the best circumstances... But somehow you seemed to make it better."

Spencer reached out then and clasped her hand in his, feeling the familiar warmth surge through her. "Then after the first time we came here... After you listened to my story about the movies, and I mean actually listened... After the festival... I guess somehow the wanting to see you had faded into needing to see you. You made me feel safe when nothing and no-one else did. You went through so much for me, my family were so horrible to you and you still didn't leave me."

"It was then I realised that maybe for the first time, I found the person who honestly wouldn't leave me. And I just need to let you know that... I love you Toby, more than I ever thought I could. But I do. I love you."

"Spencer." Toby lifted his free hand to push some hair back from her face before cupping her cheek softly. "I love you too, for far too many reasons for me to list. I won't lie and say that I liked you before you showed up that day on my porch. You just seemed like a copy of Alison to me, little miss perfect who had never had to deal with adversity... To be honest I was sort of jealous of you, you had everything I wanted. Friends, a family that wasn't broken, money... But then I hated your seemingly careless attitude towards it all, as if none of it mattered."

"Then I got to know you and realised your life isn't so perfect either. That you weren't just Ali's copycat, that you actually have feelings. That you care about people. And I learned, eventually, that I could put my trust in you. That you wouldn't turn your back like everyone else did. That meant... means more to me than I could ever say. And somehow I managed to fall for you too. I love you Spencer."

After that Spencer closed the small gap between them, and as they fell back into the bed she had never felt so happy and safe in her life. She had fallen in love, and the person she loved felt the same, it was like a dream to Spencer, one she was sure had to crash down soon.

It wasn't until three weeks later that Spencer really realised that the dream had come crashing down with a catastrophic bang. She was lying in her bed, buried in her covers, hearing her door creak open she blinked up at the person who had disturbed her. Looking at her mother, she saw concern reflecting back at her.

"Spencer honey, it's eleven now. You never sleep this late, are you feeling all right? You look slightly pale?"

"I just feel ill, I think it's just a bug, it'll pass soon." Spencer nodded, then groaned as the queasiness came back. Veronica noticed the groan despite Spencer's attempts to keep it hidden.

"Come on, get dressed. I'll get you an emergency appointment at the doctor's. The last time you told me you had a bug, it turned out to be appendicitis, we are getting this checked out."

"But Mum..." Spencer started to protest being cut off by Veronica simply holding her hand up.

"I'm not arguing with you on this Spencer, get dressed. I'll phone Dr Green to see if he can fit you in."

Spencer knew that something was wrong the instant the doctor came back into the room looking at his clipboard, before shooting her a sympathetic glance. She shifted nervously in her seat, as the doctor sat directly in front of her and her mother.

"Is Spencer ill?" Veronica asked right away. "What can we do to help her? Is there any..."

"Mrs Hastings, Spencer is in fine physical condition." Dr Green shook his head.

"I know my daughter, and I know when she looks sick, and she did this morning."

"Well yes, I assume she did." Dr Green nodded, before looking at Spencer, who knew what was wrong as soon as his eyes hit hers.

"Oh God..." she whispered, as her breathing became erratic. "No, no, no..."

"Spencer?" Veronica asked worried.

"I'm so sorry." Was all Spencer got out before the tidal wave of tears came. Veronica looked back to Dr Green who had moved to get Spencer the box of tissues he kept nearby.

"Spencer, I know it's a personal matter, but do you want me to inform your mother?" The only answer Spencer could give was a small nod, knowing that her whole word was about to fall apart.

"Mrs Hastings as I said, there is nothing wrong with Spencer physically. Her queasiness today was more than likely the early signs of morning sickness and..."

"Morning sickness?" Veronica cut in. "But that would mean... Spencer isn't pregnant. Spencer couldn't be pregnant she..."

Spencer glanced up at Veronica trying to hold her tears in. "I'm so sorry Mum."

The ride home had been in silence, neither Veronica nor Spencer knowing how to deal with the news. Spencer had numbly listened as the doctor explained her options, flat out refusing to even consider adoption. There is no way she could kill a baby, there's no way she could kill her baby. But that still left Spencer with one thing to contemplate. Whether or not to keep the baby or to put it up for adoption. When they entered the house Spencer couldn't take the silence any more needing to her what her mother truly thought of the situation.

"Mum please just talk to me." Spencer pleaded, as Veronica looked at her softly, but with anger laced in her eyes.

"What do you want me to say?" Veronica asked defeated. "That I'm happy my seventeen year old daughter who held so much promise is pregnant? That I'm happy your life is going to have to change? That I'm happy that the last couple of years of you really being able to enjoy life have just been snatched away?"

"I didn't need you to be happy about it." Spencer shrugged. "I just needed to know how you felt."

"Disappointed Spencer." Veronica muttered. "That's how I feel."

"I know, I'm sorry I let you down. We used... you know. I guess it just didn't work."

"You guess?" Veronica scoffed, before running a hand through her hair to try and calm down. She may have been mad that Spencer had just thrown her life away, but that didn't mean she was going to neglect the fact that no more than ever, Spencer needed her. "The father?"

Spencer's ashen face gave Veronica the answer before she could even quietly mutter "Toby."

"Oh Spencer." Veronica sighed. "Do you really think that boy is going to support you in whatever you decide?"

"He loves me Mum." Spencer whispered. "He would be there if I needed him, he'll want to be there, I know him."

"Spencer, without being rude, do you really expect me to trust your judgement right now? Before we even get to thinking about telling the father of... of your baby, we have to work out how to tell your father."

"He'll hate me." Spencer whispered. Seeing her daughter look the most vulnerable and innocent than she could remember, it was almost on sheer instinct that Veronica pulled Spencer into a hug, letting her daughter cry into her shoulder.

"He won't hate you." Veronica soothed the distraught Spencer. "Just know that he loves you, and whatever his reaction is, it's because he loves you so much."

As both Spencer and Veronica predicted, Peter did not take the news well. He didn't shout at Spencer, nor call her a disgrace to the family, he had just walked out of the room quietly to head to his study and hadn't came out since. Veronica had sat with Spencer wrapped in her arms for the past three hours, the same length of time that Peter had been in his office. Spencer seen movement outside and froze.

"Mum, it's Toby. I need to..."

"Are you ready?"

"No." Spencer answered honestly. "But it's not like I can press a pause button can I? I need to tell him sooner rather than later. It's the right thing to do."

Spencer walked out of her family's house into the garden where she seen Toby. He smiled at her, and ran up to her.

"I got it!" Was all he said when he reached her.

"Got what?"

"The job I was telling you about. The one in Massachusetts. Don't you remember, with you going to Harvard in the fall and my need to get away from my family it seemed perfect. None of this seems familiar to you?"

"No... it does." Spencer tried to smile, but it failed. How was she meant to ruin his happiness by telling him she couldn't go? That she had to stay in Rosewood, put her plans on hold for at least a year until the baby was born. She couldn't take away his one chance at getting away from his family even if it meant ruining theirs. "I'm happy for you. You should go soon though. You know set everything up... I need you to scout out all the good coffee places."

"I don't think I could have done it without you Spencer." Toby smiled at her.

"I love you Toby so much, don't ever forget that." Spencer said as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. Knowing how much he needed to get away meant that her secret had to stay that way. Toby could never know that she was pregnant. He would do the honourable thing and stay by her side, ruining his shot at happiness. And she couldn't deny him of that, she couldn't be the one he would grow to resent.

So she would do it herself. Figure out what to do about the baby by herself because she wasn't going to ruin his life. Even if it meant ruining her own.

A/N So I wanted to try something a little diffrent, so it might not be to everyone's taste. The fic will be set in the future so there's a time jump after this one. So what do you think Spencer decides about the baby? And how will she feel about seeing Toby again after so many years?