This story is in collaboration with Boris Yeltsin. Enjoy this chapter!

The painkillers weren't really helping the extreme pain that would jolt through Spencer's beaten body. Despite the immense pain, her bruises were healing perfectly fine during her week long stay at the hospital.

Other than Wren being her doctor, before getting replaced at her parents' request, things were running as smoothly as they could while Ian was on the loose and the girls opening up about A. Jason and the DiLaurentis family sent her a sweet get-well-soon basket with all sorts of different candies that she let the girls (and Caleb) eat when they came to visit. Ezra sent her daffodils, Lucas surprisingly gave her a stuffed bear larger than the chairs in her private hospital room. Even Noel Kahn sent her a get-well-soon basket, which she was cautious about.

Although her friends would visit ever day after school for hours with takeout food that was better than the hospital food, Toby rarely left her room. In the week she was there he only left once for a few hours to go home and take a shower. Until one day.

Spencer was as bored as ever in her room. The police had confiscated the girls' phones to further investigate A so her mother gave them all burner phones, but they were useless. Toby was playing with her unruly hair when there was a soft knock at the door.

"Could the girls be here early?" Toby asked as he got up from the bed.

"I don't think so. They should be at school right now," Spencer replied thoughtfully.

Toby strode to the other side of the room and opened the door. On the other side was none other than Spencer's sister, Melissa.

"Can I come in?" She asked coolly. Toby glanced at Spencer before he opened the door further, allowing Melissa to step into the room.

"W-what are you doing here?" Spencer asked the elder sibling as she sat down in Toby's chair. She placed her purse on her lap. Spencer propped herself on her elbows so that she could see Melissa better. Then came the awkward silence.

Spencer knew that Melissa wasn't going to say anything with Toby in the room. Melissa often treated Toby like he didn't exist, but when a Hastings was going to swallow their pride they siding want anybody to see it. That meant Melissa was going to say something 'out of character' for a Hastings.

Spencer inwardly sighed. "Hey, um, Toby," she called, "Melissa and I have some things to catch up on, so you can go for a bit, if you want. You know, if you want to change or shower or something.."

Toby cleared his throat. "Sure," he replied and placed a kiss on Spencer's head. She smiled at him as he left. When the door was closed, was when Melissa sighed.

"Spencer," she began. "For most of my teenage life and through adulthood I've thought that you hated me. I thought that you wanted to ruin my life. I also thought were being cruel when you kissed Wren -"

"I didn't kiss Wren, he kissed me," Spencer snapped.

"Right. Well, I always thought that. That's why I didn't believe you, for what you were saying about Ian." So that's what this was about.

"I thought that Ian really did love me, and that you were just trying to ruin my life again," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Maybe Ian did love you," Spencer said, trying to comfort her sister.

Melissa shrugged. "Maybe. But I know now that the second part wasn't true. You were just trying to help me, and I thought you were being cruel,"

Spencer's eyes moved down to her bed. "Melissa, nobody could have known that Ian -"

"But I should have believed you!" She interrupted, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Melissa," Spencer said softly. She appreciated the apology, she did, but it should have been said long ago.

Before either of the girls could say anything else, the door flew open to reveal three excited teenagers.

"Hey bitch," Hanna yelled as she barged into the room, "We got Thai!" She stopped suddenly as she saw the scene. "Are we interrupting something?"

Melissa smiled. "No, you're fine. I was just leaving. Feel better soon, Spencer." And with that, she was out the door.

After a moment Aria and Emily entered the room, holding multiple bags of Thai takeout food. Spencer grinned, excited to eat something other than burnt toast and clam chowder, but also nervous.

"How did you guys get here, though? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Spencer asked, taking one of the large bags.

"We were, but Wilden wouldn't let us leave the Principal's office. He kept asking us the same questions and dropping remarks, thinking we were lying. Eventually Aria requested to call her parents who had a fit and told us to go home."

There was a pause. "Wow," Spencer finally muttered. "Kudos to Aria's parents."

"So, where's Toby?" Emily asked as she reached into the bag and pulled out cherry soda.

Spencer rolled her eyes. "He's finally gone home to clean up and look like a normal human being,"

"I'm surprised he left," Aria said thoughtfully. "When he heard you were in the hospital he broke about 50 traffic laws."

"What makes you think that?" Spencer asked.

"Because it took him two minutes to get here!" Hanna exclaimed.

Spencer pursed her lips. "Maybe he was just nearby."

Hanna laughed. "I don't think so. He loves you, Spencer. He'd do anything for you."

"I love him too."

It was another week before Spencer was finally discharged from the hospital. They gave her painkillers and other prescription medications she might need. Her parents insisted on taking her home but she asked if Toby could. She loved her parents, but it would get awkward. If she knew them, they would be talking about how they would get her favorite food and new pillows for her bedroom. But with Toby, it would be casual talk or just a comfortable silence.

Toby stayed for dinner night but Spencer didn't eat much. She didn't really think about it before, but if Ian could hurt her as easily as he did in the bell tower, who's to say he won't try it again? He could easily break into the house of Hastings, and if he wanted to hurt her again he would have no problem getting her out of the house in her state. She felt safer in the hospital, because he wouldn't try anything there, but now that she's back home, she didn't know what to do.

Except -

Spencer cleared her throat after dinner and intervened her fingers with Toby's. "Um, mom, dad," Spencer called softly. Her parents looked at her, glancing her a smile that showed pride in her, only used when they knew they were in the wrong.

"Um, well I don't feel comfortable sleeping alone in - in my bedroom - tonight, so I was wondering if Toby could stay in my bedroom, tonight?"

Her parents expressions immediately hardened and Toby's hand squeezed hers. She was losing this argument.

"We can sleep on the couch, if you want," Spencer said quickly. Her parents expressions didn't change.

"I can sleep on the floor," Toby put in. Her mom's lips formed a straight line.

"You won't have to sleep on the floor."

Spencer smiled in victory.