Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars!
Toby was becoming extremely annoyed with Spencer. She had been very distant lately, and now they'd gotten into a heated argument over an issue that was somewhat reminiscent of their first break-up. But this time, Spencer wasn't directly lying to him. She simply wasn't telling him the whole truth.
"I won't ask you to explain anything because you won't," Toby said forcefully to her. "You just say that I have to trust you. Mona is locked up, Garrett is locked up, but you still jump every time your phone rings."
"It's –" Spencer began.
"Yeah, I know, it's complicated," Toby interrupted. He knew he wasn't giving Spencer much of a chance to speak, but she'd had plenty of time for that. It was too late now.
"So I'll make it easy on you," he continued. "I'll find out for myself."
Spencer stood in shock as Toby walked out of the house. She managed a weak "Toby, please" as he slammed the door behind him.
It was probably a good thing that he was leaving temporarily for a job in Bucks County. He and Spencer needed to spend some time apart. He only hoped that when he returned, they'd be able to reconnect in the way they had before.
No sooner had Toby left the Hastings' property than his own phone began to ring. He pulled it out to find a text message from an unknown number.
You want answers? I'll give them to you. Meet me in room 214 at the Rosewood Motel tonight at 10. Come alone. –A
Toby looked up from his phone and listened intently for any signs of movement. Someone had obviously eavesdropped on his conversation with Spencer, and they couldn't have gotten very far yet. However, everything was silent.
Toby glanced back down at the mysterious message. He had no idea who this A person was, but clearly they knew something that he didn't. Going to meet them was definitely worth a shot.
That night, Toby arrived at the Rosewood Motel at 10 o' clock sharp. He approached room 214, took a deep breath, and knocked softly. A few seconds later, one of the last people he expected to see opened the door.
"Mona?" he said in disbelief.
"Toby!" Mona said cheerfully. "Please, come inside."
She stepped aside to let Toby in, and he entered the room warily.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Mona offered as she closed and locked the door.
Toby ignored the question. "I thought you were in Radley."
Mona laughed. "You far underestimate me, Toby," she said. "I'm capable of greater things than you could ever imagine."
"Why am I here?" Toby asked, pressing onward.
"It's like I said in the text message," Mona replied, perching on the edge of the bed. "You have questions, and I have answers."
"You sent that text?" Toby said. "You're A?"
"Guilty as charged," Mona said. "And you could be A, too."
"What do you mean?" Toby said.
"A isn't just one person. It's an anonymous team of people whose main goal was to give Alison what she deserved. Now that she's out of the way, our focus has shifted to four new targets. I'm sure you could figure out who they are."
"So you're the reason why they often seem so uneasy," Toby said. Mona nodded. "And you want me to be a part of it?" Mona nodded again. "But why me?"
"We need you, Toby. You're close to the girls, and they'd never suspect you of anything," Mona explained.
Toby dropped heavily into a nearby chair, processing the new information he'd been given. It was completely insane. He couldn't see how he'd be able to hurt Spencer or Emily or any of the four girls, but that seemed to be exactly what Mona had in mind.
"What happens if I don't join the team?" Toby asked slowly, afraid for Mona's answer.
"I'm glad you asked!" Mona said brightly. She seemed excited about this, Toby thought with disgust. "I think now would be an appropriate time to discuss our dear friend Miss Hastings."
Toby's heart skipped a beat. "What have you done to Spencer?" he demanded.
"You mean besides ruin her life? Nothing yet," Mona said. "But if you don't do what I'm asking you to do, she might not even have that life."
Mona's words sent shivers down Toby's spine. "You wouldn't kill Spencer."
"I can and will do whatever I want to your precious girlfriend and the others. And I won't hesitate," Mona said fiercely.
Toby buried his face in his hands, trying to decide how much of Mona's story he could believe. She had certainly proved that she was more cunning and dangerous than he'd originally thought, but would she go so far as to kill a person?
Mona sighed. "Frankly, Toby, I'm surprised the decision is taking you this long. Think of what these girls have done to you – the accusations they've made, the pain they've caused…"
"That's all in the past," Toby said.
"That doesn't mean it didn't happen," Mona said. "Look, I don't make this offer to just anyone. There are countless people in this town who would love to get revenge on these girls. But I think you deserve the opportunity to actually get some."
"How long do I have to make my choice?" Toby asked.
"I don't want to rush you, but I'll tell you that I'm not a patient person," Mona said. "So I wouldn't count on having much time before I start to wreak havoc."
Toby took a deep breath. Despite what Mona had said, he had no desire to join the A team, but the safety of Spencer and her friends was at stake. There was no way out.
Raising his eyes, Toby looked directly at Mona. "Okay, you win," he said reluctantly. "I'm in."
And so Toby unwillingly became the newest member of the A team. In reality, he felt more like a victim of the team than a member – he found that he hated himself more and more with each task he completed. But as he witnessed the ruthlessness of the A team, he quickly realized that quitting was not an option.
If anything positive came from joining the team, it was that Toby finally understood why Spencer was always so secretive about A. Her words from their first break-up made sense at last: "I've found a way to survive my secrets, but everyone that I care about gets hurt." Now he knew that if you spilled the beans about A, people you loved paid the price.
However, things only got worse when he reunited with Spencer. It felt so wrong, acting like everything was fine when it was anything but that. How ironic, Toby thought,that I always wanted Spencer to be honest with me, and yet here I am keeping a huge secret from her.
For a little while, poor Spencer remained completely oblivious to Toby being a part of the A team. Then came their one-year anniversary, when it all fell apart.
The day started out normal enough, with Toby going over to the Hastings' house for his daily shower. Spencer informed him that she was being forced to attend a dinner party with her family that evening, meaning that their anniversary celebration would have to be postponed until tomorrow.
With that in mind, Toby decided to surprise Spencer with flowers during his break from work. And that was when he saw it. The A key he'd lost a few days ago, sitting on the kitchen counter.
"A?" he said to Spencer, picking up the key and feigning confusion.
"Oh, it's not what you think," Spencer said casually. "Melissa left it here. She has a storage unit in Philly."
She took the key and dropped it into a drawer, ending the discussion, but Toby knew her enough to tell that she was lying. She was aware of where that key really came from. He had to get it back, but he couldn't very well just ask for it. He'd have to come back later, while the Hastings were at dinner.
That night, Toby returned to Spencer's house, dressed in the trademark black outfit worn by the A team. He expertly picked the lock using a bobby pin and slipped into the house. Then, he made his way over to the drawer Spencer had placed the key in and began searching for it. To his dismay, it appeared to have been moved.
"Is this what you're looking for?" a soft voice asked over his shoulder.
Toby raised his head, stunned. He'd know that voice any day. He turned around, and sure enough, there was Spencer, holding up the key. She tossed it aside as Toby began to approach her.
"Spencer," he said when he was right in front of her. He had no idea what he was supposed to say, but he had to say something. Before he could get out another word, however, Spencer raised her hand and slapped him across the face. Toby didn't try to defend himself or fight back, though. He deserved that. He deserved so much more than that.
"How long have you known?" he asked. In response, Spencer, who was fighting back tears, merely held out the fake badge he'd been using to visit Mona in Radley. Despite the situation, Toby couldn't help admiring Spencer's intelligence – sure, the badge was suspicious, but deducing his involvement with the A team from it was impressive.
He wished Spencer would say something. Seeing the hurt in her eyes behind the anger was even more painful than the slap she'd given him. But who could blame her? She'd given him everything, and he'd reciprocated by betraying her.
"Spencer?" another voice Toby recognized as Mrs. Hastings called. Spencer turned around at the sound, and Toby used the distraction to deftly escape from the house. He couldn't stay there any longer; he hardly knew how to explain everything to Spencer, much less her mother.
He ran as far as he could before his strength gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. Then he broke down crying. He despised Mona, he despised the A team, but most of all, he despised himself. He'd once told Spencer that he believed people always had a choice, yet he'd thought he didn't have one when it came to joining the A team. Why hadn't he listened to his own words?