Hey guys, been a while, apologies, etc. Here's the next chapter. I have the one after this pre-written, so I'll post it either a) when I get 10 reviews on this one, b) when someone correctly guesses who Spencer's 'A correspondent' will be (one guess each), or c) in a few days. See you then.

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Toby waited until Spencer was out of sight before he turned around and continued on his way. Words were inadequate to describe how excited he was for this moment, and even if he could find the words he wouldn't use them – he couldn't risk scaring Spencer off. She'd taken this job just to protect him, and if she found out that he wasn't just doing this to protect her, she might not be so okay with it. So as long as he kept his head down and followed instructions, and didn't let Spencer in on his true motivations, he should be okay.

The location Toby had been given was the Brew, which gave him a good indication of who was target would be. The thought made him uneasy, but it wasn't enough to sway him or make him want to turn back. He could do this. He had to do this.

It wasn't a long walk, but it was enough time for his heart to start racing in anticipation and apprehension. He wished he had his phone, so he could call Spencer and wish her good luck – heck, even just so he could hear her voice – but he settled for imagining what she would say if she were here. Probably something along the lines of 'I believe in you, and I believe you can do this' or 'If you want this, go get it'.

It was enough to calm him, and by the time he reached the Brew he was feeling better. He was ready for his mission, ready to prove to Mona that he could do this, and he hoped that Spencer was thinking the same. Mona had made it very clear that if either of them screwed this up, they would both go down for it. Toby knew he couldn't live with himself if he let Spencer down, and knowing her, even if he wasn't involved, she'd put all her effort in just because she couldn't stand to lose. So he didn't have to worry about her slacking off. On his ever-increasing list of things to worry about, that was never a factor.

The Brew was still open for another ten minutes, so he found a shadowy spot across the road to wait for instructions. He still didn't know how Mona was going to get the message to him, but he didn't bother thinking about it much; he didn't really have a clue how she did anything, and although he was curious he knew he wasn't privy to that kind of information just yet. But if he played his cards right maybe she'd start to trust him, let him in on some of her secrets. Maybe she'd even let him take charge sometimes.

The street was quiet and mostly deserted, and at first Toby had thought the silence would be unsettling. Instead it was comforting; he settled back in his chair, letting the darkness and the silence wrap around him like a blanket. He was still nervous, and so excited he could barely sit still, but he was definitely calmer than he had been; hopefully it would be calm enough to get him through whatever his first 'A' task would be.

Fifteen minutes later he saw the lights inside the Brew flicker off, and Emily stepped out into the street, locking the door behind her. He watched from his vantage point as she checked that the door was locked, tucked the keys into her pocket, and headed for her car. As she pulled away from the curb, Toby felt someone come up beside him.

He turned, expecting it to be Mona, and was surprised when he met a different pair of eyes looking out at him from under a midnight black hood. It briefly occurred to him that it could be a coincidence, but given who it was he knew that wasn't likely.

"Noel," Toby said cautiously, and the other guy grinned.

"Fancy seeing you here," Noel said, sitting down and giving Toby a sideways look.

"I was sent here," Toby replied. "What are you doing here?"

Noel leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head, his grin widening. "I was sent here too."

Toby narrowed his eyes, confused, until the implications caught up with him. "Mona sent you," he surmised. "And since I'm meant to do this by myself, I'm guessing that means…"

"I'm here to give you a message," Noel finished, nodding. "You catch on quick, Cavanaugh. I can see why Mona wanted you on the team. Your girlfriend, however -"

"Leave Spencer out of this," Toby interrupted, automatically defensive.

"So you two are still the power couple of Rosewood," Noel said, his tone making it clear that he couldn't care less. "I still think Mona should have thought this through, before asking her to join the team."

"Nervous that your boss might have some competition?" Toby asked, but Noel just shook his head slightly, unperturbed, and didn't answer.

"So the reason I'm here," Noel said instead, "is to explain this mission to you."

"That's not the only reason," Toby said, picking up on the words that Noel wasn't saying.

The two fell silent as a pair of joggers ran past, one of them with a panting Golden Retriever lagging behind. As the sound of footsteps faded, the only noise left behind a gentle rustling of fallen leaves as a light breeze kicked up, Noel went on, "Your mission is pretty simple. There's a box inside the Brew; it contains all of the plans for their upcoming speed-dating event. All you have to do is steal it."

"Why? What does that get Mona?"

"Oh, nothing," Noel said, waving his hand airily. "This isn't about her. It's about you."

"So Mona doesn't care about what's in the box. It's just to check that I'm willing to do anything she tells me to." Toby considered this, and realized he didn't actually have a problem with it. If it was what it took to get Mona to trust him, then he was all for it. "I'm assuming that doing so will somehow reflect badly on Emily."

"Well, yes. She's in charge of managing the plans, so if they go missing, they're going to hold her responsible."

"So that's what Mona's after. She wants to make sure I'm willing to go against Emily for her."

"Are you?" Noel gave him a measured look, and Toby met it evenly.

"Believe it or not, I am."

"I was so hoping you'd say that." Noel clapped his hands together, evidently pleased that Toby was actually on his side. "We can get started in a minute, but there's one other thing before we do."

"What is it?"

"There's a reason Mona sent me rather than just telling you herself," Noel explained, watching Toby carefully for a reaction. "She wants to make sure you can keep a secret. Nobody outside the A-Team knows I'm part of it."

"So if any of the girls find out, they'll know it was me who told them."

"Precisely. Mona sent a different member to Spencer, and neither of you are allowed to tell the other who you talked to. So if any information gets out, Mona will know exactly whose loose lips sank that ship."

"Clever," Toby said, genuinely impressed. It seemed like Mona had really thought this plan through – although he expected nothing less from her. After all the pain and torment she'd inflicted on the girls, he'd assumed she had some kind of a system, some safety nets and fall-back plans, but this was more elaborate and thorough than he'd considered. Before he'd joined the A-Team it would have made him nervous; since he was so close to Spencer, he was still a target. But now that he was on the inside, it just made him excited. "Anything else I need to know?"

Noel shook his head, reaching into his pocket to pull out a set of keys. "These will get you into the Brew. The box is in the cupboard under the counter." He handed Toby the keys, and then his tone became teasing as he asked, "Do you need me to hold your hand while you do it?"

"No," Toby said, his fingers curling around the keys. "I've got this."

"Good luck," Noel called as Toby set off across the street.

"Won't need it," Toby replied, his heart already pounding with expectation and anticipation. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, and he wasn't about to screw it up.

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