Hi! Thank you to anybody who read this! Seriously, you guys are the sweetest people on the planet!
-Vivian
Spencer's POV
I step out onto the sidewalk with Tobes and Taylor, leaving the Brew. The sun shines in every possible corner, and Taylor giggles as she plays with my hair. She accidentally yanks, and my hand flies back to where she unintentionally pulls. She laughs, not understanding what she did. I smile down at her. "Oh, you like that, don't you? Causing me pain?" I coo playfully. Toby chuckles.
I spot familiar dark blonde hair across the street, and call, "Jason! Over here!" he sees us and jogs over. "Hey, Spence, Hi Toby. Wait, care to explain why you're holding a baby?" he asks, confused. I gulp. He probably won't be too happy with my parents about this. And I don't need him ending up in jail for assault. With my luck, he'll probably have to share a room with Garrett and Ian.
"Um… This is Taylor, Melissa's biological daughter, but Mel kind of… died in labour, so she, um, she left me as her godmother, and Toby signed papers to be father." I explain. He looks shocked, to say the least. "oh. Um, Okay. Well, I cannot believe your parents agreed to that." He laughs. I shift Taylor so her head is on my shoulder. "See, that's the thing, Jase. They kind of didn't. They kicked me out and I'm living with Toby." I explain as fast as I can.
Now Jason just looks furious. He crosses his arms, a dark expression on his face. "So, let me get this straight. You were stalked and tortured by a psychopath, a person of interest in a murder of your best friend, but none of that matters when Melissa dies and leaves her baby to you? Instead of supporting you, the logical answer is to throw you out?" I nod. "J, It's fine. Seriously. I was going to move in with Tobes at the end of the year anyway. And I'm graduating soon, and I'm going to wait for my friends to graduate so that we can all move away together. This just puts our plan ahead of schedule. Please, Jason, you're the only sibling I have left. Please don't do something that will make you end up in an orange jumpsuit."
He pauses for a second, then nods. His phone beeps, and for a second, I think, Has –A gotten to him? But he sighs and texts back. "Your parents wanted to meet me for lunch, so your father could talk to me about lawyer stuff. I told them I've just ran into you, and any deals we may have had are off, and they can go to hell for all I care. In those exact words. Can I hold her?" he asks. I pass her over, and she immediately tugs his ear. He laughs. "she's adorable." He says. And, just like that, she has him wrapped around her little finger, just like she does me, Toby, and everybody else.
His phone beeps, and doesn't stop there. He sighs. "Apparently Peter got my message. He has this case on petty theft, and he hasn't lost one in 7 years running. If he does, all his clients for the next year will find a new lawyer. He was counting on me backing him up, but the guy is obviously guilty anyway. He confessed to 5 different theft cases in the past year alone. I was considering dropping out anyway. I have to go. The DiLaurentis agency of law is almost as big as the Hastings. If you need a loan, feel free to call." He give Taylor back and jogs off, fully aware that me and Toby both have way too much pride to ask for that.
Xxx
"Toby, can you get that?" I ask when the doorbell rings. He nods, and opens it, as I'm still trying to get Taylor to eat, unsuccessfully. She has a slight fever, and won't eat anything successfully. The doctors said it was just flu, but if it progressed, bring her in. Toby steps back, Shocked. I pick Taylor up and walk to the door, to reveal Mr Cavanaugh, His wife, and Jenna. They glare at us like we're dirt on their shoes. Well, two of them glare. Jenna just looks smug.
"Toby, it's been months. Please give up this childish behaviour, come home, and go back to school. I will not have you ruin this family just because you're sulking about the fact we don't want you to go to carpentry college. You need to stay home and look after Jenna." Mr. Cavanaugh says. I gasp. "Sir, I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong. Toby loves carpentry. Are you seriously making him give up his dream for your brat of a step-daughter?" I ask incredulously, glaring at her. She smirks. "Don't look at me like that, Hastings." She scoffs.
Mrs. Cavanaugh crosses her arms in outrage. "Don't talk about her like that. You're the girl she said was one of Alison's posse. If you ask me, you deserved to be stalked. At least that Mona girl was actually nice to Jenna. Toby, pack up your things. Now." She tells him. Mr. Cavanaugh nods. "Listen to your mother, son." Toby's takes a step back, and crosses his arms. "Firstly, That cow you married is not my mom. She never will be. Secondly, Janine, if you ever talk to Spencer like that again, I will break you, and secondly, I am not coming home. Ever. Get over it." He goes to slam the door, but Jenna's hand stops him halfway.
"What's Spencer Hastings ever given you, Toby? She was Alison's best friend! You're ruining your life for her! And her stupid little friends! Don't you see? They needed Alison to make them feel superior, and without her, they flounder around, with nobody to step on so that they can reach the top! Don't you see that, Toby?" Toby glares at her, even though she can't see it. Wait.
Don't look at me like that?
What the hell? Toby can tell from my face that something is up, because he squeezes my hand that isn't holding Taylor, tells Jenna, "What I do see is that even when I move out you still have to try and find a way to control me, and I won't let that happen. Not anymore. Goodbye, Jenna." And he slams the door in her face.
"What's wrong?" he asks me. I put a finger to my lips and gesture to the door. We both listen until we hear angry footsteps retreat, and then he looks up at me. I take a deep breath. "She told me not to look at her like that, Toby." I say. His face turns white, and he runs to the window. I follow him, to see Mr. Cavanaugh helping Jenna into the car. He turns to me. "I didn't give it a second thought, but this summer, Jenna had some operations. To see if she would be able to see if they tried removing them, but she told Dad and Janine that they didn't work. A few days later, I found some eye drops in the hallway, and they were used, but I thought they were just to ease the pain from the operation. Now I think about it, they were different from the ones she got on prescription." He tells me.
I sit on the couch. "God, Jenna was scary enough blind. Imagine her with all 5 senses." I say. Toby sits down and wraps his arms around me. Taylor settles down and quickly falls asleep. "Spence, maybe she won't be so angry now that she can see. I mean, what's really changed?" I look up at him. "For one, she will be able to aim a gun." I mutter darkly. His grip on me tightens. "I won't let that happen." he tells me. "I know. But It's not me I'm worried about." I explain. He groans in exasperation. "What else is new?" he asks. I grin back.
Mona's POV
Mike. The guy I've had a crush on since pre-school. It's probably not healthy, and he probably hates me. I tortured his sister, and all. To my surprise, he offers me a ride home, even though I ruined his shirt. (A.N. In this, Mona has an older brother, Aaron Vanderwaal.) "Do you want to come in? Aaron probably wouldn't mind you borrowing one of his shirts, since I ruined yours." I say. He considers it for a minute. "Sure." He says, guardedly. I unlock the door, and Mike places his jacket on the hanger.
"Mona! There you are! And Mike Montgomery! Come in, kids!" Mom calls. I give him an awkward smile, which he returns. Mom is just pulling a batch of cookies from the oven. Peanut butter. The entire room smells of it. Aaron walks in, and hugs me tightly, stepping in between me and Mike. He's incredibly protective. I grin at him, grabbing a cookie and starting to nibble on it, even though it's still hot. I like them best that way. "Help yourself, kids!" Mom shouts. Mike takes one. "Thanks, Mrs. Vanderwaal." He says. She puts the rest of the cookies in a zip-lock bag, and turns to us. "Please, call me Leona." Mike nods. "Aaron, can you lend Mike a shirt? I kind of bumped into him, and the brown patch isn't for decoration. It's my vanilla latte." I explain.
He nods. "My room's on the third floor, just on the left. You can't miss it. Just take whatever." He shrugs. Mike thanks him, and heads upstairs. I finish my cookie, and excuse myself, getting a book and curling up on the couch. This day had certainly been interesting.
Mike's POV
Mrs. Vanderwaal comes into view as I leave the room. I give her a small smile, and am about to head out when she stops me. "Mike, can I talk to you for a second?" she asks. I nod. She takes me outside, and we sit on the bench. "Thank you, for bringing her home. What I'm about to tell you must not leave this porch. Got it?" I nod, confused. "Mona had… a multiple personality disorder. She was able to make a full recovery, but she doesn't remember anything about the time she spent torturing your sister and her friends. It's kind of like… there were two people living inside of her, but she didn't realise it until this other person took over. Imagine that. Now, when the doctors at Radley worked with her, they managed to eliminate this problem. Think of it a killing the other person inside of her." She tells me. Wait, so Mona tortured the girls, but she also… didn't?
I immediately feel sorry for her, and begin to understand how she was acting. All of last year when I saw her, she was mean, rude, and unapologetically cruel. Now… she seems like the kind of girl I could date. Wait! No, I didn't mean that. I just meant that she seemed nice. That's all I meant. I look at Leona. "Why are you telling me this? I'm Aria's brother." I say. She puts her head in her hands. "Recently, I feel like I have my daughter back, but she's… broken. I just want my baby whole again. And when I saw her with you… she looked happy. I've been trying to get her to be happy like that since she got back, but she only looked like the Mona before she met Alison when she was with you. Bubbly, funny, and continuously joyful.
I look at Leona. "That doesn't explain why you told me." I say. She looks up at me. "I just wondered if you could look out for her, at school, if you see her in public. Just in general. I know It's a lot to ask, but… I'm desperate." She murmurs. I look through the window, where Mona is reading, Aaron sitting next to her. I look back at Leona. "I can try." I tell her. She looks as if the weight of the world was just lifted off of her shoulders. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Mike!"
Spencer's POV
We all pile into a black car, Taylor in a black baby dress and shoes, me in a the same dress I wore to Ali's funeral. Toby next to me. it's a miracle the three of us, Hanna and Caleb, Aria and Ezra, Emily, Samara, and Jase can all fit, but somehow we manage. I dread seeing my parents again, but I can't miss my sisters funeral. The car takes off, and we ride in silence. It's open casket, so I get to see Mel one more time before she's gone forever. Taylor falls asleep, unsure of what's going on, but she can detect the atmosphere.
We all pile out of the car, and I look at the picture of her in the church, taken before she married Ian, when she had just got back from college. She had this huge cheesy grin on her face, and was wearing a peach shirt with frills and white pants. Typical Melissa. I step inside the church, and freeze. Her body is laid down on white silk, and she's wearing a blue dress. It also has frills, and her hair is down. It looks like she's sleeping. I walk over, Taylor in my arms, and move so she's as close to Melissa as is acceptable in this situation. "This is your other Mommy, Taylor." I whisper. "She loves you very much, and if she was here she would tell you to live a great life, and that she's so proud of you. Already. Can you wave?" I ask her. She looks at me, her signature Hastings brown eyes calm. I shift, and move so that I can make her hand wave for her. I then look at Taylor. "Your other Mommy had to go, but we can visit her every weekend. I promise." She keeps looking at me, not understanding what I'm saying, but accepting it all the same." I hold her close and go sit down, where Toby is waiting. I scan the crowd for my parents, but they're not here. I'm not really surprised. They always saw her as the golden child, but when she 'disappointed' them, they cut the cord. Just like they always do.
I lean into Toby, who kisses my forehead. People sit down, and the service starts.
"Melissa Angela Hastings was a good daughter, a kind friend, and a loving sister."
She was all of those things, and more.
Xxx
We all file out of the church for the burial, and head to the graveyard, where her coffin is already there. It's still open, and we get 30 minutes to say our last goodbyes. Toby takes Taylor whilst I walk to her casket.
"Oh, Melissa." I say, touching her cold hand. "You were supposed to live a long full life, and marry somebody who loves you. You were supposed to be the one to give Taylor siblings, not me. You were supposed to do something totally Melissa Hastings, like moving to London and have a big, flowery wedding, where Taylor could be flower girl. You weren't supposed to die before you'd lived. And now you're gone, and I don't even know what to do anymore. I love you. So much." I get up, and walk away, though it hurts to do so, back to Toby and my friends. I snuggle into his embrace, and he kisses my hair. Then his entire body changes. He becomes incredibly tense, and pushes me behind him. I look up, confused, and then I see him. Two prison guards flank him, and his eyes seem sunk into his head. But That's one of the many faces that haunts my nightmares. Ian.
Toby's POV
Ian spots Spencer, and his eyes turn mocking. He then sees Taylor in her arms, and his face becomes furious. He starts to walk over, but Jason gets on the other side of me, blocking Spencer, whose hand is on my shoulder. "I want to see him pay as much as you, but if you hurt him, you'll just get in trouble yourself, and that's the last thing we need." She whispers. I look at her for a long second, then nod. "I won't do anything, Spence." I say. She nods. Ian reaches us.
"What, did you kill her so you could steal our baby? Is that it?" He asks. She holds Taylor close to her protectively, and strokes her head. Hanna, Aria, Emily, Caleb, Samara, and Ezra approach, glaring at Ian. "I'm going to say this in the nicest way I possibly can. Leave. Nobody wants you here, and Melissa's last request to Spencer was to keep you away from Taylor." Aria snarls. Ian flods his arms. "I'm going to make one thing clear here. Those guards are the only thing stopping me from ripping your friend to shreds."
Under a comment like that, usually the prison guards would escort him straight back to the facility, but everybody knows that the police don't view the girls as normal civilians. For all intents purposes of Rosewood PD, they're a possible person on interest for every crime. The guards just shoot Ian a warning look, and he ignores them. People are staring, as usual, and Ian is certainly causing a scene, if not to scare Spence, at lease to cause her some public discomfort.
"Listen, Creep. Spencer recorded the entire 'conversation' in the bell tower on her phone. We heard everything. That's why when you woke up, you were in a cell. For murder and attempted murder. Just give up already. Ali was at times a horrible person, yes, but you used her to fertilize Mrs. D's petunias. There isn't any excuse for that. And you aren't getting alone with any of us after what you tried to do to Spencer. So just give up and get lost." Hanna hisses. Em grins at the blonde. "Said with no tact, Han, but you're correct."
Spencer's POV
Ian glares, then walks to the casket, where she stares for a few minutes at Melissa. I go to try and stop him, but Toby places a hand on my arm. "Spence, say the word and I'll make him leave, but you saw those flimsy police guards. They won't stop him unless he actually tries to hurt you. I'm not taking that chance." His eyes beg me, and before I have a chance to respond, the guard tugs on Ian's sleeve, pulling him to a cop car, which will take him back to the prison.
Xxx
The lid is pulled over the casket, obscuring it from view, and it's lowered into the ground. I lift a handful of dirt, my hand shaking, and I throw it into the ground. My friends do the same. I start to cry. "Goodbye Melissa." I whisper. "I love you."