Toby looked at the man in front of him, knowing that he couldn't risk a glance behind him to see if Spencer had followed him down. He felt helpless; knowing that there was no way that he could get Spencer out of the house, without getting her into trouble. However he didn't need to think of anything as Spencer brushed past him, then paused when she seen her father.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Peter asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"Leaving." Spencer shrugged. "I never should have come here."

"It's a little late to be saying what I want to hear Spencer."

"I'm not." Spencer said, refusing to look at Toby. She might have been hurt over his apparent rejection earlier, but she couldn't let her guard slip now, she couldn't let him see how upset she was at his words. Spencer hadn't even properly admitted to herself how upset she was. "I never should have come here, and I won't ever come again."

"Spencer you said that already, and..."

"Can we just go home and talk about this?" Spencer's eyes pleaded with her father.

"Fine. Do you have your bag?"

"I... It's at Hanna's." Spencer replied, finally realising that she had left her bag in her haste to get out of Hanna's room and away from that video. "I'll just get it at school tomorrow."

"Fine." Peter said and then began walking towards his car, then paused. "Spencer, wait in the car."

"Dad..."

"Spencer, wait in the car." Peter ordered, turning away from his daughter, and walked back up the path towards Toby.

Spencer shook her head, and walked towards her father's car, climbing in the passenger seat. She tried to blink away the tears that threatened to fall. She almost felt like laughing at the fact that she was acting like one of those girls, the ones who felt like they weren't anything without their boyfriends. But Toby was different; at least Spencer had thought he was, there was something mature about their relationship. They didn't need the empty proclamations of 'love', to know that the other one cared. Spencer could tell that from how Toby looked at her, how she felt a small flutter in her stomach each time he took her hand in his and now he was trying to tell her that she shouldn't want to be with him. She still couldn't make complete sense of what had happened in his room, how did they go from kissing to arguing? She knew that he felt the same, he had admitted that, so she couldn't get why he couldn't just let things happen? Maybe they couldn't work on the principle that both of them were guarded, so there would no-one to push them to admit their feelings. But that was one of the things she liked about Toby, that he didn't demand that she be open with him, and that was the reason that she could be honest with him. He made her feel safe, like he didn't need anything from her; all he wanted was for her to be herself. She felt herself flashback to the night at the hotel:

"I think everyone needs to accept you the way you are, because I like this Spencer, not the Spencer you try to be."

What had changed since then? Spencer couldn't wrap her head around what she had done wrong. She sighed, as her father opened the car door, she looked up at him trying to guess how angry he was with her. But his face didn't give anything away. Deciding not to test him, Spencer placed her head against the window, seeing that Toby had already closed his front door. She shut her eyes, letting herself pretend that she was anywhere but where she was.


Toby watched as Spencer brushed past him, not looking at him, instead keeping her eyes trained in front of her as she walked down the path with her father. Then Peter paused, and said something to Spencer before, turning and walking back towards Toby. Toby considered just slamming the door in his face, but he knew that would make things worse. Not that he was sure how things could get worse. He wasn't worried about the man in front of him; he was worried about the girl that he had just offended. He hadn't meant to offend her, he had never wanted to see her hurt, let alone be the one to actually hurt her. But he had hurt her, although in his opinion it was necessary. If he had said what she wanted to hear, if he had let things go as far as she wanted, then he would have really messed up. Someone with his history, with his bleak future, there was no way he could give her the life she deserved. He couldn't let her settle for him, when there was someone out there capable of loving her and treating her the way she deserved. She deserved someone who wasn't scared to trust, and he wasn't sure that would ever be him. He would try to trust for her, he trusted her more than anyone else, but it still wasn't enough. He might trust her, but he didn't trust himself around her. She seemed to be the exception to his barriers, and he could see himself falling for her, which is where his problem lay.

He didn't have time to ponder this thought though as Mr Hastings' was now standing directly in front of him.

"Sir?" He asked wearily.

"I warned you not to go near my daughter again."

"I'm sorry. But she came over here, and I..."

"Let her in without a fight. She might have been the one to come here, but you let her in, and that doesn't make you innocent."

"Was I meant to tell her to leave? She was worried; she needed someone to talk to."

"She has people she can talk to. She has her friends and family."

"Who never actually listen to her?" Toby shrugged.

"Listen, you have no right to comment on my family. We look after Spencer, especially when she seems to insist on making stupid decisions."

"Like me?" Toby cut in. He might have agreed with the man in front of him, that being with him was a mistake for Spencer, but that didn't ease the pain of the words.

"You are not good for Spencer. Nor will you ever be good enough for her, and this time if you go near her I will make sure you regret it. Every family has their secrets, but I'm sure you wouldn't want yours to get out."

"What?" Toby asked stunned, there was no way the man before him could know about his family's secrets.

"Stay away from Spencer, or you'll find out the answer to your question."

Peter turned then, and began walking back to his car, leaving Toby standing in his doorway. Shutting the door over, he walked back to his room. He almost laughed at the thought that it seemed emptier without Spencer there. Sighing he sat upon his bed, resting his head in his hands. It would have been easy to give in, and just go with what Spencer wanted; it wasn't like he didn't want it to happen. But just because he wanted it to happen, didn't change the fact that it shouldn't. Spencer deserved to be with someone who wasn't as broken as he was. He knew, that for everything she was, she still had some innocence in her, and he wasn't going to be the one to corrupt that. Spencer needed someone who could be open with her, who could take her out to the restaurants she liked, who wouldn't be afraid to be completely open with her but more than that she needed someone who wasn't broken on the inside.

He knew that convincing Spencer of this would be easier if he didn't see her, let her believe that he regretted their actions over the past few weeks. But as much as he hated it, he was much too selfish to let her go completely. So now he had to find a way to remain friends with her, while convincing her she needed to be with someone better than him. And if he convinced her to be with someone better than him, he would be left with only one problem.

How to be around the girl you might love, while she is with someone else.


When Spencer walked into her house, it was evident that her father wasn't the only one who knew that she had been at Toby's house. Her mother and sister sat on the couch, disapproval already written on their faces. She shut her eyes softly, deciding to sit on the chair, she curled her legs under her, not caring that this was normally frowned upon; she needed all the comfort she could get at the moment. Her father sat next to her mother, as Spencer braced herself for what was coming.

"Spencer, would you care to explain what you were thinking today?" Peter asked.

"I wasn't." She shrugged. "I should never have gone to see Toby. I know that you don't have a reason to believe me right now, but I know I shouldn't have gone. I just... I needed to get away from something, and that was the first place I thought of. I don't expect any of you to understand but I just needed to be around friends. And it was something that the girls couldn't help with."

"And why wouldn't they understand?" her mother asked.

Spencer paused then, what was she meant to say? That they wouldn't have understood because they hadn't had to live through what Toby had? That she had been overcome with a burning need to check that Toby was alright?

"I was worried about everything with the police." Spencer muttered. It was half true, she was worried about it, she just hadn't spoken with Toby about it "He understands that, the girls don't."

"And what about school Spencer? How do you think it looked when you went missing for the afternoon?"

"I didn't think anyone would notice." Spencer shrugged honestly "I've been missing classes lately with everything going on, you know that."

"Have you missed any more classes that we don't know about?" Peter asked.

"No."

"Are we expected to believe that after today?" Veronica cut in.

"You can check."

"We shouldn't have to." Veronica sighed. "Spencer, honey, we honestly don't like doing this to you. But we're your family; if you aren't looking out for yourself then we have to."

"What's my punishment this time?" Spencer sighed wanting this to be over, so that she could go to her room.

"I'm not sure what else we can do." Her mother replied. "Banning you from seeing that boy, placing you in a controlled environment... none of it has worked. What else are we meant to take away from you?"

"So you're not going to do anything?" Spencer asked.

"We never said that." Peter shook his head. "You broke the rules Spencer, you directly defied us and you skipped class, we can't let all of that just go."

Veronica nodded her approval of the statement "Spencer we want you here or at school. And when you are at school, we don't want you leaving unless we are picking you up. Ian will make sure that you have lunch at school and do not leave the building."

"So I can't visit Hanna, Emily or Aria?" Spencer questioned.

"No."

"You can't do that!" Spencer replied shocked. She wasn't sure she could deal with the police, 'A', Ian or her family's current views about her if she didn't have her friends. Even with their support, it was hard to pretend that she was fine all of the time, when the honest truth was that she was falling apart.

"Yes we can." Peter rebuffed her statement. "In a couple of years you'll be thanking us for keeping you from that boy."

"If that's all, I'm going to my room." Spencer muttered, only to pause when she heard her mother clear her throat "What?"

"We need your phone Spencer."

"What? No!" There was no way that Spencer could give them her phone, not when texting was one of 'A's favourite methods of cyber torture.

"Spencer it isn't a discussion." Her father said firmly holding out his hand "We're not going to read anything, we are going to turn it off and place it somewhere that you won't be able to retrieve it from."

"I..." Spencer started, but seeing the looks on her parent's faces she knew that there was no point in arguing. Dejectedly she handed it over, seeing her father take the battery out, at least that way they wouldn't see anything from 'A'. With that Spencer walked up the stairs, and into her room, only letting the first tear fall when she had closed the door firmly.

She thought back to earlier, how happy she had been with Toby before everything had went south. Had she overstepped the mark? How did he go from kissing her, and saying such wonderful things to telling her that she shouldn't be with him? Had she inadvertently offended him in some way? Had he finally realised that he couldn't be with someone who was partially responsible for ruining his life?

Except that he had seemed dejected when he was telling her that she shouldn't want to be with him. Did he want to be with her too, but for some reason couldn't let himself be with her? Was there something hidden in what he was telling her? She recalled, for the first time, that he had brought up Jenna. Spencer knew that he still blamed himself for what happened, like it was his fault in some way, was that why he hadn't wanted to take things further? Spencer felt like screaming, but she settled for shoving some papers off her desk, watching them cascade to the floor. She hated when she couldn't make sense of things. And that seemed to happen a lot with Toby. She felt frustrated tears sting her eyes, as she took a few deep breaths to try and calm down. Then she heard a small knock on her door.

"Go away." Spencer called, but her door creaked open anyway. Spencer rolled at her eyes at forgetting to lock her door. But instead of one of her parents like she had been expecting, she seen her sister walk in, carrying a plate of Spencer's favourite biscuits.

"It's probably a good thing I never listen to you." Melissa said, coming in to sit on Spencer's bed. "Peace offering?"

"It's not like you did anything." Spencer muttered.

"Mom and Dad are just worried about you Spence, we all are."

"There's nothing to be worried about! I'm pretty sure that I won't be seeing Toby again." Spencer was shocked at her words. But she wasn't sure if she would see Toby again. He might have become a big part of her life, but she only seemed to make his more miserable. And there was that proud part of her, that wasn't sure that she could face him after he turned her down.

"What happened?" Melissa asked.

"So you can tell Mom and Dad?" Spencer shot back.

"No. Because I'm your sister, and I've heard that sister's apparently talk to each other. We've had practising at the fighting part, we've got that perfected. So I thought why not try the other bit? You were right, this war that's been happening between us, it's getting tiring. If my pregnancy is teaching me anything, it's that family is important. And I'm your big sister, no matter what you should be able to talk to me."

"I really liked him Melissa." Spencer sighed, sitting across from her sister. "And no, I wasn't lying when I told Mom and Dad that we didn't do anything more than kiss. But I still really liked him."

"Why?"

"Because he didn't expect anything from me." Spencer laughed. "Because he made me laugh, when I was upset. Because he's smarter than he lets on. Because he's honest. Because he's the first person in a while, that actually seen me. Not the straight a student, not that field hockey girl, not that girl who organises everything... He didn't care if I wasn't perfect at everything. He didn't need me to be strong for him, and it was nice not having to strive for perfection. It was nice for someone to just be happy that I was there."

"Spencer, do you really think that we won't accept you if you're not perfect?"

"Don't you feel that way?"

"Sometimes." Melissa nodded. "It wasn't that long ago that I was like you. In some ways I suppose I still am. But I learned recently, that something's are more important than needing Mom and Dad's attention or approval. And as hard as they may push us, it comes from a good place."

"That's easy for you to say." Spencer pouted. "You got to go first. I get to come in your shadow. It's like no matter what I do right, it doesn't matter because you did it first."

"Spencer, one day you'll find someone that you love, and you'll realise that none of it matters. I mean look at me. I'm still driven, but I'm not letting it ruin my life anymore."

"Well some of us aren't that lucky." Spencer said. "Some of us have bigger problems."

"Bigger problems?" Melissa scoffed.

"You're not the one being investigated by the police."

"And you're not the one who's pregnant, while her family seems to be falling apart. You're not the one who's little sister hates their husband."

"Why does everything always come back to Ian?" Spencer exclaimed.

"He's done nothing but try with you Spencer. I don't get why you have such a grudge against him? I don't get why can't just forget whatever silly reason you have for disliking him."

Spencer looked at Melissa in astonishment. Since when did knowing he killed your best friend, count as a 'silly reason'? But then something else struck Spencer, the forget comment. Spencer remembered her dream, and Melissa's bracelet lying on the ground.

"Melissa, you remember that bracelet that I gave you the day... the day Ali went missing?"

"Yes..." Melissa responded hesitantly, at the seemingly random conversation change. "What about it?"

"I just haven't seen you wear it since? Do you still have it?"

"Spence, it's probably in Philly."

"So you didn't lose it."

Melissa paused for a moment; an unidentifiable look flittered across her face. "No, I didn't lose it."

"Really?"

"What's with the twenty questions Spencer?" Melissa's voice began to take a defensive tone, something that Spencer picked up on.

"It's just that I remember seeing it that night, it was outside the barn, but you weren't home that day and..."

"I came home to get my purse. That's not a crime is it?" Melissa defended.

"And you remember that you needed your purse?"

"You remember that I dropped the bracelet. It's not that odd to remember."

"Yeah but..."

"What do you really want to ask Spencer?"

"Nothing! I just wanted to know is all."

"You just wanted to know all of a sudden? Why did you not want to know before?"

"I just... forgot." Spencer replied, it wasn't technically a lie. And what was she supposed to say? That she thought Melissa might know something about Ian, and that he had somehow found a way to bribe her into staying with him.

"Whatever sis." Melissa sighed. "I have to go now."

"Wait Melissa!" Spencer called at her sister's retreating back, but Melissa just kept on walking. "Thank you for the biscuits."

Spencer turned around to survey her room. There was the plate of biscuits lying untouched on her bed, the paper's cascaded across the floor, causing Spencer to grimace at the mess, and her laptop had a flashing light on. The kind that flashed when she had a new message. She walked over to her laptop and opened the new e-mail.

So Daddy's little princess is all locked up her in tower. Want to know who got you there? Think of your favourite vowel! Hint – it's not me! Kisses – A.

So someone had told her parents where she was, but it wasn't A? Who else would tell? Spencer's initial guess would have been Ian, but she hadn't seen him since their car ride in the morning, and Spencer was careful when she was leaving with the girls, there was no way he saw them. The only other vowels she thought of were Aria and Emily, and there was no way either of them would say something. Aside from Spencer trusting them completely, they both knew what it was like to hide relationships from their parents. Emily had to do it with Maya and Aria was still doing it with Mr Fitz, they would never tell her parents about her and Toby. But who did that leave? Who else at her school knew her parents enough to tell them? Then a thought struck Spencer, someone had recorded those videos. Someone Alison was close to and someone who had a thing for young girls. Which brought Spencer to one conclusion. Ian. So maybe he was still watching them, and he had seen her leave! But wouldn't he have wanted to be here, wearing that stupid smirk that Spencer wanted to slap off his face? Or would that be too obvious? Spencer groaned and leaned further back in her chair, wondering if she should share her theories with the rest of the girls.


Spencer woke up startled, she had once again dreamt of that night outside of the barn, imagining what Melissa could have stumbled across. Rubbing her eyes, she swung her legs out of her bed. Deciding that she needed a glass of water, she put on her slipper's and opened her door, careful to stay quiet so as not to wake her parents. She had been 'too ill' to eat dinner with them, so she hadn't had a proper conversation with them since she had arrived home. When Spencer got to the edge of the stairs she paused, hearing voices from below her.

"Spencer knows something's wrong." Melissa said sounding worried. "She knows about the bracelet she got me. She kept asking me questions earlier."

"What did you say?" Ian asked her.

"What do you think? That it's in Philly."

"I didn't mean to upset you any further."

"I know." Melissa sighed. "I just wish that she would give up playing detective. It's ruining everything for her. She is digging a bigger whole for herself. I know we aren't exactly Mary-Kate and Ashley type of sister's, but she is still my little sister, I don't want to see her in trouble."

"What are we meant to do? We have both already tried to get her to give up, but she won't. She's your sister; you know how stubborn she can be."

"I just wish all of this was over."

"I told you, I won't let anything happen to you." Ian reassured Melissa. "And we'll just have to come up with a different way to make sure Spencer doesn't continue being Nancy Drew."

They left the main house then, heading towards the barn, leaving a stunned Spencer still in her hiding spot. Why had it sounded like Ian was covering for Melissa and not the other way around?