I know that this is a random story and pairing, but I have a soft spot for it. I didn't think anyone would actually read it, so thanks for those who did. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Toby was simple; he loved her, defended her and would fight for her. But lately all Spencer thought about was how she needed more than his boring safe embrace, she wanted excitement and danger. And lately the only person who she ever felt that with was Mona. She may be an utter bitch but she was honest, she hated Ali and made it clear instead going the root that Spencer had which was the theory of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Mona achieved a web of lies and deceit that was impressive while all Spencer achieved was to get blackmailed thanks to Ali.

Spencer wanted to go back and get to understand what Mona had meant the last time she had been there but that would be admitting defeat, and Spencer Hastings was no quitter.

Her resolve cracked the next day when she was having lunch with Emily, Aria and Hanna. They had once again started speculating as to whether Jenna or Lucas was behind the recent influx of A threats.

Spencer didn't want to point out the obvious but as long as Jenna was blind there is no way that she is the evil mastermind behind all of A's plans. And Lucas was just too much of a follower to actually be able to take charge in something that needed guts to follow through on.

Ever since that talk with Mona she had started to notice small things in her friends that were grinding on her so badly. Hanna was so shallow; nothing around her that didn't directly impact her was of any importance to her. Aria was completely oblivious to the real world; she lived in a fantasy where everything was pretty and happy and where no realism would ever be found. And lastly there was Emily, sweet Emily who was just such a glutton for punishment. Emily always went towards the worst things, Paige being a fine example of that or even further back when she was infatuated with Ali.

"Spencer, are you even listening to me?" Hanna said snapping Spencer from her thoughts.

"Of course I am Han," Spencer said glancing up from her salad that she hadn't been eating.

"God, you're being so weird today," Hanna said before continuing her story about Caleb, and Spencer once again zoned out.

"I wish I could say I knew you would be back, but you've always been an unpredictable one," Mona said as soon as she saw Spencer entering the rec room.

"Most people would say that I'm predictable, too predictable even," Spencer said as she sat at the table opposite Mona.

"Well most people don't know you very well do they, I mean can you honestly say that your friends know that you're here right now?" Mona said, with a happy expression lighting her face. When Spencer didn't answer Mona continued.

"Yeah I didn't think so," Mona finished for Spencer.

Now that she was here Spencer had no idea what to do or say, why was she even here? Neither one owed the other anything. At the back of her mind the answer was digging at her, Mona was she needed, an equal of sorts.

"So I heard that you met Cici," Mona said with a casual flick of her hand.

"And where would you have heard something like that?" Spencer said giving Mona a suspicious look.

She should have known better than to ask Mona something like that, there was still ways of getting info back to Mona and it seems the A team was using that to their full advantage.

"Around," Mona said dismissively before continuing. "If I were you I would befriend Cici, she's a real team player."

"Is that you're not so subtle way of telling me she's one of you pawns," Spencer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but trust me. Getting to know Cici a little better won't be as fruitless as you think," Mona said cryptically.

"God, do you always have to be so damn cryptic. It's really annoying," Spencer said with a sigh of annoyance escaping her soon after.

"Because you're smart enough to work it out," Mona quickly replied.

That was their last visit, since then Spencer figured that it wouldn't do any harm to get to know Cici a little better. It was purely a test to see if Cici was working for A, that's what Spencer had told her friends at least. The truth was that she kind of trusted Mona to a certain extent, maybe getting to know Cici was actually a way for her to confirm that Mona was telling her truth. Spencer really had no idea what she was thinking, which might have been first for her.

The visits were becoming more and more frequent, so much so that she had to find new lies to tell Toby and her friends as the others were starting to wear through. Most days they spoke about nothing of real importance, they left A at the back of their minds. Today though was not such a day.

"Toby is not right for you," Mona said randomly in the middle of what had been a normal conversation concerning the last time Spencer had visited and had to duck out to avoid Hanna.

"Wait, what?" Spencer said. Mona's comment had thrown her.

"You heard me, he's weak, a follower, a loyal little puppy dog. You cannot be satisfied with that," Mona said seriously as she twirled her hair in a playful manner, the gesture out of place with her expression.

"That's not true, you don't know him," Spencer said defensively, though deep in her gut she knew Mona was right.

"Don't I though?," Mona said with a final grin before being escorted out by one of the nurses to get her medication for the night. Leaving a frozen Spencer in her wake, who was contemplating what Mona had just implied so subtly that most would not have understood. But she did. Toby was in the A team!