A/N: ...So guys, I'd thought I could explore this dynamic a little bit more... This was originally planned to be a one-shot, but I wasn't expecting such great reviews to this fic. Your feedback really keeps me going! So, there's another chapter!

A/N: Thank you, siophiefandom, as always, for the betareading and the brilliant edits.

Three weeks later - Philadelphia

"...Aria, can I talk to you about something?" Spencer asked, her tone a bit wary.
The petite brunette set her teacup down on the table and smiled at her best friend. "Of course, Spence."

She was accustomed to seeing Spencer a little cranky when she hadn't had her morning coffee yet. But that day, her friend seemed especially edgy.

"Remember when I told you I was going to Chicago? A few weeks ago?" Spencer whispered. She was glancing around cautiously, as if afraid that someone in the Café could overhear their conversation.

"Um, yes?" Aria said, not really knowing why Spencer was being so paranoid. "It was for work, right? That difficult divorce case you were working on?"

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. "And we won."

"Good," Aria smiled. "So?... What about Chicago then?"

Spencer fidgeted in her seat and cleared her throat.

"Well, while I was there, I saw Paige."

"Paige? You mean Emily's Paige?" Aria asked.

Spencer cringed slightly at her friend's choice of words. Emily's Ex, she corrected in her head.

"She's not anymore..." she began, before sighing. "Yep, that Paige."

"Okay," Aria said, surprised. "I thought Paige was living in Iowa now?"

"She is, but that weekend, she was in Chicago with the swim team she's coaching," Spencer explained, her voice still a bit softer than usual.

"Okay, so you two were in the same city at the same time, and what? You ran into each other?" Aria asked, not getting what the problem was precisely.

"Not exactly," Spencer muttered, dipping her head.

Aria was now staring at her friend with a perplexed look.

"Spencer? What happened? Did you two argue, about... about Paige and Em's breakup?"

"What?" Spencer frowned, startled. "No, that's not it at all, Aria," she said, her tone a bit harsh.

"Okay. So, what is the problem here, Spencer?"

"Who said there is a problem?" Spencer almost snapped.

"Um, your face, and your tone?" Aria pointed out, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Spencer, what is it?"

Spencer let out a frustrated sigh. "Sorry, Aria," she said sheepishly.

"It's okay," Aria assured her friend. "But please, Spence, tell me what's bothering you."

"...Paige and I... we kinda hooked up," Spencer confessed, her eyes down, her voice barely audible.

"You... mean... you..." Aria stammered, her doe-eyes wider than ever.

"Yes. We spent the evening at a bar, and the night at my hotel," Spencer clarified. "In my bed."

"Wow," Aria said. "I don't really know what to say."

Spencer whined and took her head in her hands. "Yeah. I can't blame you for being speechless. Sorry, but I really needed to tell someone about... this. But please don't tell the others," she pleaded. "Especially not Emily... for obvious reasons."

"Of course I won't," Aria said. "But... you and Paige... does it mean... I don't know, something? Or was it... a one-night thing? An experiment?"

Spencer raised a brow. "An experiment? For whom?"

"Well, for you, obviously, I guess, since you're straight, as far as I know. Though I always thought you had a gay vibe," Aria stated.

Spencer scoffed. "Oh no, not you too? Paige told me the exact same thing. Seriously Ar, I don't even know whether I'm gay now. I mean, I'm still attracted to guys."

"Well, maybe you're bi," Aria pointed out.

"Maybe," Spencer said impatiently. "But that's not the problem, Aria. The problem isn't that I slept with a girl. The problem is that I slept with Paige."

"And?..." Aria ventured.

Spencer glared at her. "And what? Were you expecting details?"

"No, no, Spencer, of course not," Aria said quickly. "What I mean is: what now?"

"I don't know," Spencer sighed. "I'm lost, Aria. Totally lost. And I can't help feeling guilty about... you know, about Emily."

"Did you... did you talk with Paige about all that? I mean, after?"

"We talked a bit, in the morning," Spencer said with a shrug. "We were... both surprised at what had happened between us, but we weren't upset. Not at all. You know the talk felt... I don't know, rather natural. We weren't ill at ease at all. Which is kinda weird, when you think about it. We had every reason to feel uncomfortable, but we didn't."

"And after that night? Did you see or called each other?"

"Not really," Spencer said in a glum tone. "I mean, we texted a few times, but... just the usual small talk, you know. To let each other know that we got home safely, that kind of stuff. We never talked about the elephant in the room."

"I see," Aria stated simply.

After a minute of silence, the petite brunette said in her soft, caring voice:

"Maybe you should call Paige? Or e-mail her? You know, to talk about that... elephant," she grinned, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I don't know, Aria," Spencer muttered. "Why doesn't she call me? Why do I have to do the first move?"

Aria shook her head in disbelief. "Really, Spencer? Is that what this is about? A test of pride? Because, if that's the case, let me tell you, it's stupid. And it could go on for a while, considering you and Paige can both be... very stubborn."

"McCullers is stubborn," Spencer protested. "I'm just... competitive, that's all."

Aria rolled her eyes and smirked. "If you say so. But well, since you asked for my opinion, Spence: just call her."

Before Spencer even had a chance to follow Aria's advice, Paige contacted her. It was another brief and very simple, text message: ("My team's got a swim meet in Philly next weekend. So, if you're free, it would be nice to catch up?...)" Still, as casual as it was, Paige had typed and re-typed it several times before sending it. She had wanted it to sound relaxed, but not too detached; after all, she and Spencer still didn't know what they "had" - or whether they even "had" something at all, period.

Spencer's answer was immediate but equally brief: "Sure. Just text me the details the day before."

And Paige did just that. She suggested dinner at a small Italian restaurant on Walnut Street – something nice, but not too fancy, a place where they could talk –not like in that noisy bar in Chicago.

And, just in case, Paige thought, the hotel where she and the team were staying wasn't far from the restaurant. Not that she intended her encounter with Spencer to end exactly as the previous one had ended, though she wouldn't have minded, if she was being honest with herself.

Since that night, the other girl hadn't left her mind much – Spencer's husky and sexy voice, Spencer's slender body, Spencer's incredibly smooth and fair skin - making it two girls that Paige McCullers was thinking about almost constantly. It was annoying, when all she wanted to do was move on with her life, and meet new people, and new love interests. What is it about Rosewood women?...

When Saturday came, though, they had to change their plans at the last minute. A nervous Paige called Spencer at around 5PM. The call went straight to voice mail, much to Paige's annoyance.

« …Hey Spencer,» Paige said, « I know we had plans to meet at this restaurant in town this evening, but… do you mind a slight change of plan? I'm, like, on duty tonight. You know, a few girls on the team are grounded because of a prank they pulled on the bus, and the head coach asked me to, well, keep a close eye on them. So I can't really leave the hotel, you see? How about you meet me there and we can order room service and watch TV or Netflix in my room, or… just talk or… whatever, you know?... Though I'd totally understand if you'd prefer to take a rain check. Well, anyway, let me know, okay? Bye."

Paige hung up and cursed herself internally. Just talk or whatever… and you had to mention Netflix. Great, McCullers. Now Spencer is really gonna think that she's your booty call, and nothing else. At least, you didn't invite her to "Netflix and chill"... well, not directly.

The thing was, Paige was more than eager to see Spencer. She had been excited about it ever since she found out about the team's trip to Philly. She didn't really know why she was so excited, exactly. Her encounter with Spencer in Chicago had left her with mixed feelings.

They have really bonded during that night, not only because of the sex (which, albeit unexpected, had been truly enjoyable) but also because they had found in each other a sympathetic ear. Even though, back in their Rosewood days, they had gone from being rivals, at first, to being almost friends at the end, they had never really connected on a deeper level– until that night in Chicago.

Somehow, it was much easier for Paige, at this stage in her life, to get along with Spencer–probably because they were older, and also because Paige knew. She knew about the insanity of Rosewood – and the insanity of some of its inhabitants. Even though she got out, she had been there, for all those scary and unbelievable events (even though she had never really felt part of the gang). And Spencer, for her part, was still somewhere in between -she had escaped from Rosewood once, when she left for college, but she had had to come back. Rosewood was like a curse - and, for both of them, a place inextricably linked to their youth, and to their love life.

A few minutes later, Paige's train of thoughts was interrupted by a text from Spencer. "McCullers, if you wanted me in your hotel room, you only had to say so in the first place. By the way, it would be helpful if you'd text me the exact location of your hotel, and your room number, too. PS: Room service sounds nice. Do they have club sandwiches and mimosas?"

Paige grinned, and immediately texted Spencer back the requested details. Then she grabbed the hotel brochure from the bedside table and checked out the room service menu.

When Spencer exited the elevator on the fifth floor at the Holiday Inn Express, she almost bumped into a group of girls in their track suits, who seemed to be overly excited.

"Sorry miss, I mean madam,I guess," said one of the girls, earning some giggles from the others.

Spencer arched a brow,simply nodded, and began to make her way down the hallway. She knew better, though, than to go directly to Paige's room. She could feel the eyes of the girls (athletes from Paige's team, she assumed) glued to her back.

She stopped in front of room 518 -Paige was staying in 512- and rummaged through her purse, as if searching for her hotel key card.

She heard some more annoying giggles from the group of girls, and then the soft ring of the elevator. With a quick glance to her left, Spencer made sure that the college girls had left the floor before backtracking to Paige's door.

She knocked softly, and, much to her surprise, her heart skipped a beat when she heard Paige's husky voice saying "I'm coming!". The door opened quickly, and Paige's head popped up.

"Spencer," the auburn girl said, a wide smile on her lips. 'You made it."

"Of course," Spencer said with a small shrug. Paige took a step back to let Spencer in.

"Hi," she said, dipping her head slightly. "Hi," Spencer echoed.

Paige seemed a bit nervous, but also genuinely happy to see her. She was dressed casually, in some grey skinny jeans and a v-neck navy blue t-shirt, but Spencer also noticed her light, but fancy make-up (god, that pink lipstick looks really good on her!) and the silver teardrops earrings.

Spencer scanned the room and smiled at the sight of an appetizing food tray. "You know, I wasn't really serious about the club sandwiches and the mimosas," she observed.

Paige's face fell, in disappointment. "You weren't? I can order something else, if you..."

"Paige," Spencer cut her off, "it's fine. Actually, it's perfect."

"Oh, okay," Paige said, relieved. "We also have some bittersweet chocolate cake for dessert. I thought you'd like it."

"I love bittersweet," Spencer approved, an amused smile on her lips. "Actually, bittersweet is the story of my life. Maybe even my middle name," she joked, before sitting on the queen size bed. Spencer's tone was light and teasing, but her tired, deep brown eyes said otherwise.

Paige nodded. She understood. I guess I can say the same.

Her eyes studied Spencer, who was now taking off her high heels with a sigh of relief. The slim brunette was wearing a light blue suit over a white silk tank top.

"I came over directly from work," she explained. "Today was hell."

Paige winced. "Sorry to hear that. And... for canceling our plans to go out. As I said, I'm on duty..."

Spencer smirked. "Yeah, you mentioned that. So, this assistant coach job is far from relaxing, then?"

Paige sighed and sat on the bed beside Spencer. "Oh, you know, since I'm the newest member of the staff, I guess it's to be expected. But some of these girls are... a little immature, to say the least."

"Yeah? Well, I think that I saw a bunch of them out in the hall, giggling like schoolgirls," Spencer said. "Don't worry, I made sure they didn't see me heading to your room," she quickly added, when she saw the worried look Paige was wearing.

"Sorry," Paige said. "It's just..."

"I get it, McCullers."

And then, Spencer leaned in and dropped a soft kiss on Paige's lips.

'Jessica Jones' was playing on Paige's laptop screen, but neither of the girls was paying attention to the TV show.

They were lying on the bed, kissing. Soft, playful kisses at first, which quickly became more intense, as did their breathing. They were still fully clothed, but Spencer's hands were venturing under Paige's t-shirt. And Paige's hands were soon following the curve of Spencer's hips, near the zipper of her suit's skirt.

That's when they heard a knock on the door, followed by the sound of a teenage girl's voice. "Coach McCullers! We need you! Meghan and Kayla are fighting again!"

Paige groaned and, with a deep sigh, pulled away from Spencer's lips (and body) and quickly got up from the bed. A flustered Spencer stared at her, her usually flawless brown hair tangled and matted, her eyes a little hazed.

Paige mouthed a "sorry" at her and reached for her shoes and her track jacket. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she whispered almost sheepishly, and Spencer shot her a wry smile.

"I hope so, Coach McCullers."

When Paige came back into the room twenty minutes later, Spencer was still lying on the bed, but she had taken off her skirt and her tank top. Paige gulped audibly at the sight of Spencer's lacy dark red underwear. Her reaction wasn't lost on Spencer, who raised a playful eyebrow at the auburn girl.

"I made myself comfortable," Spencer said with a crooked smile. "Hope you don't mind." She was obviously enjoying the situation a little too much.

Paige huffed and quickly get rid of her shoes and jacket. She was unzipping her jeans when Spencer's voice interrupted her.

"Wait. I want to undress you myself." Spencer's voice was even huskier than usual, and Paige felt her knees go weak all of a sudden. Shit. Since when does Spencer Hastings have this power over me?...

A very aroused, rosy-cheeked Paige was softly moaning Spencer's name when another knock on the door interrupted them, less than half an hour later.

"Fuck," Spencer said between gritted teeth. "What now? Meghan and Kayla are having a pillow fight and they need you to referee?"

She removed her right hand from Paige's panties, earning a groan of protest from the other girl. Spencer giggled at Paige's obvious disappointment. She was feeling rather frustrated herself, but couldn't help finding the situation amusing. And exciting. The night was still young, after all.

"Coach McCullers, are you still awake?" Paige heard the urgency in Coach Fraser's voice. "We have a situation. Seems three of the girls are missing," said the concerned voice behind the door.

"Damn it," Paige muttered, before slipping out of Spencer's arms and rushing to the door.

"Wait," Spencer hushed her. "You might want to get dressed first. And, um, maybe fix your hair a bit?..."

Spencer was asleep when an exhausted Paige returned to her room, more than two hours later. She and the other two coaches had had to track down the runaway girls to a night club located in another part of the city. They had eventually brought them back to the hotel, of course, but then they then had had to deal with the rest of the girls. A bunch of them, over excited by the drama, had been disturbing the other guests by pacing up and down the hotel's corridors, talking and laughing loudly.

When coach Fraser announced that the whole team was going to be grounded for the next month, with no more post-victory celebrations and a strict "stay-in-your-room" policy during outside swim meets, the mood deflated and the girls returned to their rooms without further resistance.

As tired and irritated as she was after all the drama, Paige had expected to pick things up with Spencer right where they had left off. But seeing the brunette peacefully asleep, her determination faded away.

With a defeated sigh, Paige sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Spencer in silence. She's stunning. So slender and yet so strong. Like a beautiful, unbreakable reed... wait, why am I thinking that? That's stupid. And pointless. I guess I should get some rest too.

Shaking her head at her own thoughts, Paige cautiously laid herself on the bed beside Spencer.

Spencer mumbled something in her sleep and snuggled against Paige, burying her face in the auburn girl's neck. Paige froze, torn between the desire to wake the other girl up and resume their previous activities or to let her sleep.

She had noticed the dark, deep circles under Spencer's eyes. She's working too hard. And this endless Rosewood drama is consuming her.

She felt the sudden urge to protect Spencer at all costs, as she had done for Emily. Emily... Paige had tried not to think too much about the raven-haired girl during the last few weeks- a losing battle. Emily was still in her thoughts, and even in her dreams sometimes. Way too often, if you asked her.

Paige sighed again and softly kissed Spencer's hair. "Sleep, Spence. I'm here," she whispered. But Spencer's unconscious reaction took her aback. The name Spencer was now muttering in her sleep, a dreamy smile on her lips, wasn't Paige's. It was Toby's.