The sound of car horns blared as Dean and Spencer sat on the side of the highway. Spencer had gotten car sick after she had mad the ill-fated decision to have a chili cheeseburger for lunch.
"I knew I should have gotten a salad." She said sarcastically when the car sickness passed.
"You ready to get back on the road?" he asked.
"Yeah let's go" she said.
It took just over 5 hours for them to drive from D.C. to Rosewood, PA. She took in a deep breath as Dean pulled up to the estate.
"It's just a few days" Dean said reassuringly. Spencer shook her head.
"No, I'm going back to D.C. after the ceremony" she said.
"Spencer….." he said drawing out her name in a disapproving tone.
"I said I'm leaving after the ceremony!" she yelled before forcefully getting out of the car.
She stood at the door for a minute giving Dean a chance to catch up to her. When he was next to her she rang the doorbell. Her mother answered the door.
"Spencer" she said with a sad smile before pulling her into a hug. She stood there awkwardly as the hug went on longer than she liked. "Come on in"
She entered the house she grew up in but no part of it felt like home. Home was the crappy apartment she shared with Aria, home was her favorite coffee shop she went to every morning. Home was shopping with Hanna, and most importantly home was Toby. None of that was here and she almost regretted that she hadn't had Toby come with her until she remembered the reason she was here.
She walked into the living room and her dad stood to greet her first.
"Welcome home baby" he said giving her yet another hug that lasted too long.
"Spencer" Melissa said mercifully hugging her briefly. "How's D.C. you and aria still living in that shoe box apartment?"
"Just call us Nike's" she joked glad her sister was here.
"The ceremony is going to be at sunrise like always" her mother said. "I was thinking that afterwards the family could go out for dinner, and tomorrow we'll go to church" her mom said.
"I'm going back to D.C. after the ceremony" Spencer said and stared at everyone's grim expressions.
"Why?" her mom asked pointedly.
"I have to work tomorrow" she lied.
"It's Sunday" her mom said. "I know mom but my boss is a slave driver"
"Well I'm sure if you explain..."
"I don't want to explain!" She yelled "Don't you get it? I'm tired of this victimization bullshit! Poor us, the poor Hastings, everyone feel bad for us. I came home for you like always but don't expect me to stick around for the morose familial despair"
Her mother smacked her across the face hard. "How dare you" she yelled "go to your room!"
Spencer went to her room and Dean followed.
"That went well" he said sarcastically.
"Was I wrong?" she asked.
"Not entirely" he said pulling her into a hug. "The ceremony is a few hours away, do you want to get some rest?" he said kicking off his shoes and climbing onto her bed.
"I'll lay down in a minute I just need to call someone real quick" she said. She dialed Toby's number.
"Hello?" He yawned.
"Hey it's me, I'm sorry I ran out on you like that…..twice" she said with a small laugh. "I'll be back tonight and I promise to make it up to you….ok I got to get ready….I love you too"
"Now it makes sense" Dean said "you have someone to get back to…someone you don't want to explain to"
"It's a new relationship" Spencer said.
"You're using the L word" he said.
"Just because it's not in your vocabulary doesn't mean it's not in other peoples" she shot back.
"We used to have the same vocabulary" he said quietly. "I'm happy for you" he added.
3 hours later
Spencer was standing in front of the mirror admiring her white dress. She missed Toby terribly.
"You look beautiful" her mother said coming up behind her.
"Thank you mommy" she said shyly.
"We're ready to start when you are" she said.
"I'll be down in a minute" she said.
When she was sure her mother was gone she called Toby.
"Hey baby" he said and she fell into tears.
"I love you" she sobbed "I love you so much I wish you were here with me so you could hold me and kiss me and make everything better like you always do"
"Tell me where you are and I'll come get you" he said without hesitation. Spencer hung up the phone quickly. Just then Melissa walked in and took in her sister's disheveled appearance and called to Dean.
When Dean came upstairs he found Spencer vomiting again. He held her hair and rubbed her back.
Dean helped her calm down and clean up.
An hour and a half later Dean and Spencer were back on the highway headed to D.C. Her parents hugged her and promised to visit but she knew they wouldn't.
"I need to make a pit stop" Spencer said and Dean exited the freeway and pulled into the first drugstore he found.
She got back in five minutes later a plastic bag poking out of her purse.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked once they were back on the freeway.
"No" she spat.
He dropped her off.
"I'm in town another week if you need anything" he said.
"Thanks" she said sincerely "I don't know what I'd do without you"
She headed up to Toby's apartment building. She stood at the door awkwardly wondering if she should knock or just walk in, he'd given her a key after all. She decided that she'd knock. When he didn't answer she knocked again.
"Toby, it's me" she said weakly
The apartment door next to Toby's opened and this beautiful woman with dark hair and brown eyes came out.
"He's downstairs with a tenant" she said. She was wearing a skimpy tank top and what looked like men's boxers.
"I'll just use my key then" she said.
"You must be Spencer" she said with a smile. Spencer nodded.
"I can't find the key he gave me" she said. "Would I be able to use your bathroom and then I'll just wait for him to come back up?"
"Sure" she said.
When Spencer was behind the safety of the locked bathroom door she pulled the out the pink first response box out of her purse. She had had to do this after a few ill-fated nights in high school and college but this felt different.
OK so I didn't go into the details of the ceremony on purpose. I want you guys to find out when Toby finds out, if that makes sense. P;ease review and let me know what you think!
