A/N: I was rewatching this scene after the S3 Finale aired and I couldn't help but think about what each character was thinking and feeling, after having such an intense relationship and then having such a clean break. It's probably totally lame but I had a lot of time to kill on Easter break! Please let me know what you think, even if you hate it. :)

PS: I don't own Spencer or Toby or any of the dialogue in this story, just the bits in between.

"It's seat yourself, pretty eyes," Spencer heard the waitress say, as the door shut behind the latest customer to enter the diner. She knew then, for sure, that Mona had told her the truth, that he was alive, her Toby was alive – hadn't she herself marveled at those same beautiful eyes so many times? She closed her own eyes and allowed herself a few seconds of relief and gladness before remembering the weeks of torture his disappearance had put her through, the way he had facilitated her breakdown and not even called - he didn't care that his death was killing her. Her eyes snapped open. Toby was A. And she would do well to remember exactly what she was dealing with.

Toby sat opposite her, his fluid frame sliding into the chair. She kept her face downcast; letting him speak first, wanting to hear what he might say, and hoping he might speak of her, even if he said something she didn't want to hear.

"Hanna got the job."

His voice was soft, perfect, exactly how she remembered it. And yet it burned her. It burned her because she had accepted she would never hear this voice again, that it was lost to her forever. Taking a deep breath, she replied, only two words; she couldn't give him any more.

"I know."

He snapped to attention, certain he had misheard, misunderstood. This had to be just another case of her playing on his mind, clouding up his brain so that she was all he could think about, the only thing he saw when he closed his eyes. He stared at the hooded figure, trying to work it out but the hoodie was shapeless and gave away no clues of its wearer's identity. After an age, the stranger lifted her head and before he could prepare himself, he was staring into her face. Her chocolate brown eyes were wide with a mixture of relief and hatred; betrayal and love. He knew he had hurt her, unspeakably, but seeing a trace of how she used to look at him took away his guilt if only a little and he breathed easy again, for the first time since he had fled the Hastings' kitchen all those weeks ago.

"Spencer," he breathed.

It was the only word he spoke but it made her breath catch in her throat. Spencer knew she should hate him, loathe him for all he had done to herself and her friends, for who knows how long, but she couldn't help herself, the sound of his voice made her want to reach out for him, to be held by him. 'Keep it together,' she thought, 'you're on your own here, Spence. He's not your Toby anymore.'

"When I was in Radley, Mona told me that you were alive." Toby opened his mouth to defend himself but she spoke over him, determined to let him have it. "I wanted to believe her but, until now…"

Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears, of anger not sadness.

"Back in the woods, was that you? Were you a part of it?" she demanded, her fury growing. She was obviously mad at Toby for all he had put her through but mostly she was mad at herself. Spencer had always prided herself for being the smart, level-headed one. Hanna was the one who let herself be fooled by people – just look at what had happened with Mona! But here Spencer was, in the same, if not worse position, sucked in by the lies of the boy she had given everything to.

Toby could see her getting worked up. He could understand that she was angry with him, who could blame her? But he saw Spencer's typical stubbornness in her face and he knew she wasn't going to give him a chance to defend himself or explain. Maybe he didn't deserve it, after what he had done. He was never supposed to tell her about his involvement with the A-team, but this was different. She had signed up of her own accord. Maybe now he could tell her everything, all the things he had wanted to say in her kitchen on the night of their anniversary. He had played that scenario so many times in his mind on the sleepless nights – what he would say, how he could make her see that this was all for her sake. Could he even make her see that? He knew better than anyone what A had put Spencer and her friends through, hell; he had done a lot of it himself. He wasn't sure if she would ever forgive him but he'd be damned if he let Spencer Hastings slip through his fingers again and did nothing to try and catch her. "Mona told me after –"

"And you let me believe that you were dead?" she cut him off and started to sob, though she tried her best to hide it. Seeing her like that and knowing he was the cause tore him apart but he knew she needed to say these things to him. Then again, he also had things he needed to say to her, and he needed to say them now because he didn't know if he would ever get the chance again.

"Everything I've done was so I could protect you."

She blinked and after a pause she said, "I want to believe that," and he knew her hesitation was not unfounded, that he had earned her doubt. "Let me take you somewhere safe," Toby continued, trying to prevent Spencer from doubting him more. A thought struck him and he asked, "Does Mona know you're here?"

"No."

For too long now, Spencer had been unsure of herself; who she was and where she belonged. Then she had found Toby's body in the woods and she had a purpose again: to find out what had happened to him, and ultimately, to avenge him. She had felt in control again since joining Mona, and until this point in her encounter with Toby she had felt like she was in charge. But the doubt began to cloud her mind again as she looked into Toby's face and saw only sincerity in his offer to take her somewhere safe. 'A safe place to land,' her own words crossed her mind before she could stop them and she knew instinctively she had been right about Toby all along.

She believed him.

"She told me that you would be there Friday. That you would be my reward for delivering the girls."

His eyes widened and she knew he was in shock that she would consider selling her friends to Mona. Maybe he was shocked that he was her price. But he was in no position to judge her, after all the awful things he had done, they both knew that. He tried a different tack.

"How'd you find me?"

"She left me alone in her lair."

Despite everything, Spencer had to stifle a smirk. She had known all along she could outsmart Mona with the right tools and here was her proof. She had gotten around Mona to Toby and Mona had no idea. But beating Mona at her own game came at a price, and Spencer was forced to acknowledge what she had become.

"I kidnapped a seven year old. I'm the reason Aria and Ezra broke up … so I've earned her trust."

She could see him process her words. He was disgusted, she could tell and yet she didn't care. Let him be disgusted. Let him think what he liked of her. She could never hurt him like he had hurt her, even if she wanted to.

He knew Spencer hated herself for doing the things she was telling him about. But he understood her motivation. He had done some pretty despicable things himself in the past, in order to protect this girl, and he knew that she had done what was necessary to find out the truth about what had happened to him; because that's what people did when they were in love, they pushed themselves beyond their limits to do what was right for their other half.

"It's not safe for you to be here," he tried again to convince her to leave with him, to put some distance between them and Mona, she knew this diner was significant, any one of the dozens of people here could be recording their conversation under her orders. He pleaded with his eyes but Spencer wouldn't budge, saying only, "I stopped worrying about me a long time ago," and only then he knew how much pain he had truly caused her.

Years later, if someone were to ask Toby what the lowest point in his life was; he would tell them this story. He wouldn't think of the sick things Jenna had done to him, or the time he had spent in juvie. No, he would tell them of the moment when he saw first-hand the extent of the damage he had done to the girl he loved, when he saw that her scars ran so deep that he feared that he, or anyone, would never be able to fully heal them.

Once more he tried; he gave one last plea for her trust. He knew that if she couldn't give it to him now that it was all over. She would move on with her life and he would have to try and do the same. "What we had was real. I've been pretending to work with Mona so I could keep you safe. I need you to believe me." For a few moments they stared at one another, both determined not to back down. He could see in her face that he was getting through to her. "And I need you to follow me," he finished.

She watched him rise, and leave the diner. He had nothing more to give; he had said all he could say. Did she trust him? She didn't know for sure, but her gut told her she should. After all, had he been the skilled liar she imagined, wouldn't he have stayed, still trying to convince her of his love? Or was he so sure of her love for him that he knew she would follow? Because she was going to follow. They both knew it. Still unsure whether her motive was love or curiosity, Spencer threw a few dollars on the table, and left in his wake.

Across the parking lot, the headlights of a tan coloured truck flared up.