Growing Up
Chapter One: It All Started When…
Summary: At 16 years old, Spencer has to grow up fast. Yes, for most of her life, she has made mistakes that she has learned from, and she has grown up slowly. But after a rough night at home, Spencer goes out for a walk and runs into Toby Cavanaugh. And then one thing leads to another and… things permanently change for Spencer and Toby.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars.
'My life is so screwed up. My sister married a potential killer; my parents don't believe a word I say anymore; and at the age of 16, I have found myself pregnant with Rosewood's resident murder suspect's baby. Yep, that's right; I, Spencer Hastings, am pregnant with Toby Cavanaugh's baby. Luckily, I haven't started to show yet, so I still have a little bit of time to figure out how I'm going to tell my parents. Of course, my friends were the first ones after Toby to know that I was pregnant, and all of them (Aria, Emily, Hanna and Toby) are all my support system. Wanna know what the only problem with all of this is? I need to let my parents know why Toby has suddenly started spending a lot more time than usual at my house and why my friends and I all stop talking the second that they or Melissa or Ian walk into the same room as us. That is definitely going to be a fun conversation… not!' Spencer wrote in her journal as she lounged on the chair that was in the corner of her room. She had found out that she was pregnant a few weeks ago and of course, the first person she called was Toby. She sighed in relief when he picked up after the first ring.
Flashback
"Is everything okay Spencer?" Toby had asked. He started to really care about Spencer and whenever she actually called him and didn't text him, there was definitely something wrong.
"Can you meet me at the park?" Spencer had asked. She didn't want to tell him over the phone that he was going to be a father. That was definitely a piece of information that she needed to tell him in person.
"Of course; I'll be there in about 5 minutes." Toby had said, the worry still in his voice as Spencer heard him grab his keys.
"Okay, see you when you get here." Spencer had replied before she shakily ended the call and waited on the only bench at the park for Toby to show up. And just like he had said, he had shown up about 5 minutes later.
As soon as Toby had come into Spencer's view, she got up and ran to him while throwing her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms gently around her waist. Kissing the top of Spencer's head, Toby had pulled back a little bit and had looked into Spencer's tear filled eyes.
"Spencer, what's wrong?" Toby had asked again.
"Toby, I'm pregnant." Spencer had said as the tears fell down her cheeks.
"I'm gonna kill whoever got you pregnant." Toby had said as anger filled his eyes. Someone in Rosewood had hurt Spencer, and they were going to pay.
"You can't do that Toby." Spencer had said softly as she had looked down at the ground. If Toby killed the guy who had gotten her pregnant the baby wouldn't have a father.
"Why not Spence? Some prick got you…" Toby had started to say before realization hit him. "I got you pregnant?" he had asked lifting Spencer's chin with his finger so that she was looking at him.
With a small nod, Spencer had wrapped her arms around Toby and cried into his chest. Toby didn't register what was happening around him and Spencer. He was still trying to grasp the concept that had gotten Spencer pregnant.
"Toby, what are we going to do? We're only 16." Spencer had inquired. She wasn't one for abortion, but she didn't know if she would be able to manage carrying a baby to term without Toby's help and support.
"We're going to take care of this baby together." Toby had replied as he held Spencer close to him and just let her cry.
End Flashback
Oh, forgive me and my silliness. You probably want to know what had caused Spencer and Toby to get together, don't you? You do? Well, okay then. You see, it had all started about 3 months ago. Spencer had just found out that Melissa was pregnant with his baby and after having another yelling match about how Ian was evil with not only Melissa, but their parents as well, Spencer went out to take a walk. She just needed to get out of the house and get some fresh air and as she was making her way to Emily's she obviously had to pass the Cavanaugh house, and she had been surprised to see Toby sitting on the stairs of the porch just looking up at the stars. After walking over to him and sitting down, Spencer didn't think much after that. She didn't remember either of them saying anything to each other, or who had initiated the kiss, or even them getting up and heading inside and into his bedroom. But the part that Spencer did remember from that night with Toby was that while pain had shot through her body, she had also felt an immense amount of pleasure from Toby. She hadn't given into the thought that there was a huge possibility that she could have gotten pregnant, and to be honest, Spencer didn't care anymore. She had eventually embraced the chance to grow up faster than her older sister. Yes, both Spencer and Melissa are pregnant at the same time, but no one besides Spencer, Toby, Aria, Emily and Hanna knew that. Now we are back into the present and Spencer is content with being pregnant with Toby's baby because she has come to love Toby. They had gotten to know each other quite well before everything had happened between them, so knowing that it was Toby's baby and not some stranger's that she was carrying made Spencer happy.
"Spencer, can you come downstairs please?" Veronica Hastings called up the stairs to her youngest daughter.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute mom." Spencer called back.
Slowly getting up from the chair, Spencer grabbed her sweater and wrapped it around her stomach. There was no telling if Melissa and her mom would be able to tell that Spencer was pregnant, so she didn't want to take a chance of them noticing that something was going on with her. As she got closer to the bottom of the stairs, Spencer noticed that Toby was leaning against the far wall and her friends were sitting on the couch across from the fireplace. With her sister and Ian behind the couch and her parents sitting at the kitchen island. Looking from Aria to Emily to Hanna and then to Toby, Spencer knew that her family knew. But how did they find out?
"What's going on?" Spencer asked.
"Do you have anything that you want to tell us Spencer?" Peter asked his daughter.
"No. Because I'm guessing since Toby and my friends are all here, you already know everything." Spencer said as she felt the sting of tears reach her eyes.
Seeing that Spencer was about to start crying, Toby pushed away from the wall and was about to walk over to her when Ian pulled him back towards the wall.
"Touch me again and you get a black eye." Toby said pushing Ian's hand away from him and walking over to Spencer and wrapping his arms around her gently.
"Why would you do this Spencer? Why would you sleep with him?" Melissa asked, she was disappointed in her sister's choice of a guy, but was a little happy that she got to experience a pregnancy with her sister.
"I was upset that night. I was actually heading to Emily's but when I walked past Toby's house, I changed my mind and went to sit with him. Everything after that is blurry to me. But to be honest, I'm happy about this." Spencer said. She looked up at Toby who smiled and kissed her temple.
"Spencer, you're 16 years old." Ian condescended.
"You think I don't know that Ian?" Spencer snapped at her brother-in-law.
"Watch your tone young lady." Veronica warned.
"Oh my god, even when you find out that I'm pregnant you still side with them." Spencer said as she broke out of Toby's arms and ran upstairs followed by Toby and her friends.
"Melissa, can you go talk to your sister please?" Peter asked as his wife put her head in her hands.
"Sure." Melissa said as she made her way towards the stairs and Ian followed.
"Ian… I asked my daughter to go talk to her sister, not you." Peter said making Ian stop following Melissa and just stand there awkwardly.
As Melissa walked up the stairs, she heard Spencer crying and Toby muttering something, probably reassurances, to her; but she didn't hear a single thing coming from her sister's friends. When she reached Spencer's room, the door was partially open, but Melissa could see the reflection of the room in the mirror that stood next to Spencer's door and the sight that Melissa saw nearly broke her heart. Toby was laying on the chair that was in the corner of Spencer's room and Spencer was laying with her head on Toby's chest while Toby gently held her occasionally muttering that everything would be okay. Aria, Emily and Hanna were sitting on Spencer's bed, not saying anything, but looking at Spencer and Toby with concern in their eyes. Knocking softly on her sister's door, Melissa stuck her head in. Sitting up slightly, Spencer wiped away a few of the tears that were on her cheeks.
"What do you want Melissa?" Spencer asked.
"Girls, could you please wait in the hall? I need to speak with Spencer and Toby alone." Melissa said turning to the girls before turning back to her sister and Toby.
"Spencer, if you need us, all you have to do is just call us back in." Hanna said giving Spencer a hug before she followed Emily and Aria into the hall.
"Okay." Spencer said meekly before lying back down on Toby's chest.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted downstairs Spencer. It was wrong of me and I shouldn't have reacted the way that I did. You and I need to be able to lean on each other throughout this process. And I know we won't be able to do that if we are constantly fighting with each other." Melissa said and Spencer just rolled her eyes.
"Melissa, it's nice that you came up here to talk, but right now, Spencer just needs to relax. She's had a rough past few months and it's mostly in part to you now being married to Ian." Toby said as he stroked Spencer's hair and just held her.
"Toby, I know that I haven't been a very good sister to Spencer, but that is what I'm trying to apologize for right now." Melissa explained.
"Then can you at least let her calm down first?" Toby asked. Neither Toby nor Melissa had realized that Spencer had fallen asleep yet.
"Of course I can. But it looks like it will have to wait until tomorrow anyway. Spencer's asleep." Melissa said.
It had been a while since Toby had watched Spencer sleep and he was glad that she was able to get a good night's sleep with how hectic everything had been lately plus with being pregnant. So with as slowly as he could, Toby got up from the chair and picked Spencer up while Melissa pulled the covers on Spencer's bed back and Toby gently laid Spencer down and then pulled the sheets over her, but leaving the comforter folded at the end of the bed. Turning to Melissa who was standing at the end of Spencer's bed, Toby sighed and motioned for them to head into the hallway with Aria, Emily and Hanna.
"Melissa, I want to take care of your sister throughout this whole thing, so would it be possible for you to ask your parents if it's okay for me to stay here if I sleep on the chair in Spencer's room?" Toby asked.
"Of course. I'll go ask them now and then I'll let you know what they say." Melissa said with a small smile.
Once Melissa was out of ear shot, Toby turned to Spencer's friends.
"If her parents say no that I can't stay here, will you three please stay? And if Spencer wakes up and needs me, give me a call. I don't want to be away from Spencer, but I also don't want to get too far onto her parents' bad sides." Toby said.
"Don't worry Toby; we're planning on staying no matter what Spencer's parents say." Aria said. She felt bad; she had been the one that broke under Mrs. Hastings' stare and she wanted to do what she could to make sure Spencer was okay.
"By the way, which one of you told Spencer's parents?" Toby asked looking at each of them in turn, but at Hanna a second or two longer.
"I didn't tell. Emily and Aria were here before me. And I was getting the icy glare when I showed up." Hanna said putting her hands up in defense.
"Emily? Aria?" Toby asked. He didn't want to have to admit to himself that Emily might have told, but then again, he also didn't want to admit to himself that Aria could have done it.
"It was me. I didn't mean to say it, but you all have been subject to Mrs. Hastings' stare. I broke. But I regret bringing it up because I know that Spencer was wanting to tell them herself." Aria admitted.
"ARIA!" Emily exclaimed.
"Shh." Toby and Hanna warned.
"TOBY!" Spencer called sleepily from her room and Toby was at her side in a heartbeat.
"Are you okay?" Toby asked.
"What's with all the yelling?" Spencer asked as she pulled Toby onto the bed and put her head on his chest. Hearing his heart beating always calmed Spencer down and she had a feeling that as the baby grew, he or she would be calmed down too by Toby's heart beat.
"Aria accidently let it slip to your parents about you being pregnant. Emily was surprised, that's all." Toby said soothingly.
"Oh, okay. You're staying here tonight, right?" Spencer asked.
"I hope so. Your sister is downstairs asking your parents if it is okay." Toby said as he leaned down and kissed the top of Spencer's head.
"Okay." Spencer said before falling asleep again.
After a few minutes of lying there watching Spencer sleep and gently stroking her hair, Toby started to feel himself drift off into sleep as well. The only thing that kept his eyes open was knowing that he hadn't been cleared to stay at the Hastings' house for the night and if he was, he would have to move over to the chair. It was after the third or fourth time of his eyelids drooping shut and then snapping back open when Melissa quietly walked back into the room.
"You can stay. My parents said that Spencer is really going to need you throughout the pregnancy so anytime that she asks you to stay the night, you are welcome to. The girls are in the guest room across the hall, so if you need them, you know where they are. My parents said that you don't have to sleep in the chair if you don't want to, but it's up to you." Melissa explained in a whisper.
"Thank you Melissa. I really appreciate it." Toby replied.
"No problem." Melissa said before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
"Spencer, can you wake up real quick?" Toby asked softly, and merely got Spencer resituating her body as a response. "I guess not. But, you're parents are letting me stay." Toby whispered as he scooted down on the bed so that both he and Spencer were actually lying down.
"Night Toby." Spencer muttered.
"Goodnight Spencer." Toby replied before kissing the top of Spencer's head and finally giving into sleep.
End Chapter One
(A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I wanted to give this a try and so far, it feels like one of my better stories. Yes, I've been writing fanfictions since the summer of '05, that's almost 6 years of writing. And my writing has definitely improved since I first started. Since I have Spring Break from school next week, I will probably get a lot of writing done, so keep your eyes open for the next chapters to this story, 'Running Away' and, hopefully, 'Weekend In Paradise'. – Emma)