Eavesdropping is a double agent's best friend, especially when said agent had recently ostracized the three closest companions that have stuck by her in the darkest seasons of life. Not to mention the small fact that she had lost the love her life, first to the A team, then to a violent death.

Eavesdropping, however, is the act that had renewed her hope, hope that love wasn't as lost as she had once believed. She had been wrong; hope did not always breed eternal misery.

Standing outside the RV from hell, Spencer Hastings overheard words that set her on a whole new path. Clichéd or not, she could honestly say that there was now a light at the end of this God-forsaken tunnel. That light had a name, and it was Toby Cavanaugh.

Mona had been bragging in her typical irritating drone about her ability to break "the both of them." The clear voice of Noel Kahn responded, saying that he had never been anything more than a "worthless lovesick puppy." They laughed and sneered together, tossing out insults over the weakness of emotion, the unnecessary roadblock called love.

With one last jab, Mona tossed out vital information caught by her uninvited audience: "I'm glad he left town after his spat with little Miss Hastings. He's been a loose cannon since the beginning, earning every punishment that came his way last spring…this would have sent him so far over the edge, there's no telling what he would do for her."

Left town? As in…that body wasn't…no, maybe she hadn't heard correctly.

But Noel's grating retort left no room for doubt. "You can tell good ole Spence has lost her marbles if she bought into that decoy body you led her to. One glimpse of a sharpie tattoo and she has a complete breakdown. Real entertainment would have been forcing Cavanaugh to watch that heartwarming scene."

"Trust me, the thought crossed my mind! He'll be back soon enough to bask in our victory over his precious girlfriend. He's gonna lose it big time, the sap!" They both cackled, their sick humor causing the already present knot deep in Spencer's gut to twist even tighter.

Sure, they were nauseating. And it was her first instinct to collapse into tears at the thought of their twisted deception. That wasn't an option though. Steeling herself against the tide of emotions swirling in her heart, Spencer mentally prepared herself to play along as if she had never heard their conversation. Pulling the hood of her black jacket over her head, a renewed resolve formed within her. Toby was alive? Toby was alive. Alive and possibly on her side!

….

Coughing, spewing, reeling, yet she needed to stay alert. Spencer could barely see two feet in front of here, doing her best to not inhale the curling rings of smoke rising all around her. Her heels were not doing her any favors either. Panic and stilettos do not go together well. Hanna could have warned her of that, but it was too late. Stumbling forward as her shoe got caught in the cracks between floorboards, Spencer's hands shot out to steady her off-balance body. Her left palm connected with the door frame before her—her relief was short lived when she realized the wood beneath her hand was quickly becoming the object of the furious flames consuming the entire lodge.

Her involuntary yelp at the burning of flesh was swallowed whole in the crackle of the fire. She couldn't help but believe that Mona's directions for tonight's stunt had been a trap. Sneaking around in the cellar had seemed like a harmless task at the time, but Spencer had a feeling that this fire was no coincidence. There aren't coincidences in Rosewood, she had suffered enough to know that.

The unending maze of rooms seemed impossible to navigate in the haze of billowing smoke. Her determination floundering in the dim blackness of the labyrinth, Spencer allowed her eyes to flutter closed, just momentarily. Maybe the fight had finally left her. She wasn't invincible, despite what others may have thought. Maybe this was really the end, game over.

But this game was not one-player. Emerging from the flames, racing against time, rising from the ashes, her soul mate and protector had enough fight left for the both of them. Toby's seemingly futile search for Spencer had not returned void. The joy in finally spotting her quickly subsided when he took in her vacant eyes and unresponsive state. She seemed fine physically, yet she did not seem to notice him as he approached. Choosing to shelf his concern until they reached safety, he made the executive decision to throw her slim figure over his shoulder and get the heck out.

With his priceless cargo now securely retrieved, he backtracked to the cellar door at the rear of the building. He carefully picked his way through the crumbling interior, glancing behind time after time, making sure that Spencer's dangling hair avoided the flames that crept closer and closer. Not on his watch. They could take what they wanted of him, but she had never deserved this.

...

Blinking against the heaviness of her eyelids, Spencer forced her dark eyes open, trying to recall…

"Toby!" Cringing at the scraping sound of her voice against her dry scratchy throat, Spencer swallowed and made another attempt. "Toby…"

His back was to her. He had been studying the surrounding area, trying to establish his next course of action. The police were surely on their way, and he didn't need to be around when they arrived. On the other hand, his heart rebelled against the idea of leaving Spencer alone. She was literally a heavenly sight for his very sore eyes. He couldn't take her with him, though. Her hand clearly needed medical attention, and he was also fairly certain that she needed to be treated for smoke inhalation. She looked so peaceful lying out on the dewy grass, breathing evenly with her head resting on his pillowed hoodie. His body screamed with desire to just be near her.

Her naturally raspy voice, made even hoarser in the damage of the fire, set his already racing heartbeat into overdrive. Whipping around to face the one he lived for, Toby was instantaneously next to her, clutching her unharmed hand.

Spencer's mind could not keep up with the image in front of her. First she took in his cerulean eyes boring into hers, communicating paragraphs of love with just a look. The line of his jaw, the slope of his nose, the indent at his chin—all evidence of what she had overheard between Mona and Noel. The sandy brown hair that always looked just perfectly mussed seemed to be framed in an orange glow.

The fire, the smoke, all a setup…

Toby. "You saved me?" She felt the hot rush of tears building in her mocha eyes.

He nodded, his throat swelling with emotions of his own. "I saved you. I…you don't know how much I need you."

Feeling a surge of love stronger than the ache of her hand or the sharp discomfort of her lungs, Spencer dove forward, crashing into Toby, clinging to him with all of her strength. Surprised at the sudden power in her embrace, he almost fell backwards. Regaining his sense of balance, Toby returned her fierce hold as he wrapped her up in his solid arms. They were both shaking, huddled against the world and clutching all that they held dear.

"I love you, I love you, Toby," she whispered ardently, pressing kisses against the column of his throat. Pulling back ever so slightly, she noticed her tears mirrored in his eyes.

His face twisted in regret, hating his part in their separation these miserable, lonely weeks. "I can't believe you trust me…I don't deserve it."

Spencer's right hand rooted itself in the tangles of his hair, applying pressure to the back of his head, wanting him as close as possible. "I know now. I heard Mona talking about you and I know the truth," her voice dipped with sadness as she remembered their tormenting words. "They made me believe you were dead. I never thought I'd see you again…"

Her voice broke along with his heart. Grasping at the base of her skull, weaving his fingers into her chestnut locks, Toby pressed his lips into hers. Instantly allowing him access, Spencer kissed him with all the passion that had been locked away for so long. The fire behind them raged on, yet the fire between them had the potential to light up the entire sky.

The legend of the phoenix tells of a mythological bird that plunges head first into the fire, yet rises from the ashes in a show of rebirth. It's a story of new beginnings in the face of complete devastation.

And now it's time to rise.