Author's Note: I seriously can't thank everyone enough for the positivity and support. This has been an intense new season, and I am trying to incorporate new plot threads and developments without deviating too much from canon (pretty much impossible with PLL :-P) ((and you know, not more than pairing together Mchastings)). This chapter is deviating a bit from being primarily humorous in tone, but I wanted to experiment a bit since I am keeping it going for at least a few more chapters.

Paige's POV

"Emily wait!" I called, sprinting to stop her before she got in her car to drive away. Here I am, about to finally be with someone again and I am still chasing Emily Fields. Wondering what Emily feels and if she will be okay.

"Please Paige just back off." She was angry but I could also sense an undercurrent of sadness in her voice. It caught in a way that indicated being nervous or sad. Either way she was trying to hide it under the anger.

I stood in front of her driver's side door, preventing her from taking off.

"Em listen I…" I tried to start, but she shook her head angrily and cut me off.

"Screw you Paige."

"I loved you Em! I loved you for so long." My voice was low, cracking under the weight of what I was saying. She looked at me, part of the anger seeming to melt away.

"You betrayed my trust. Maybe Ali didn't turn out to be who I thought she was, but that still didn't give you the right to go behind my back." She spat out.

"You left me. Alison dangled you like a piece of meat in front of me. Just to rub it in. And now, after two years I'm not allowed to move on?" I hated myself for tearing up and shaking. I had never been so upset before. It took a few moments before she spoke, finally glancing up at me from the ground.

"Why Spencer? Why did it have to be one of my best friends?" She asked, voice sounding haggard and tired.

"I don't know! It just happened." She was finally softening. It had been so long since she didn't look upset or angry to see me. That hurt almost as much as the breakup itself. I started to tell her all about the past few months and how Spencer had started as a fling with an acquaintance and gradually grew to be more as we had grown to know one another.

"All of us have been so hurt, so damaged by everything that happened in high school. We have to look for happiness anywhere we can find it. I don't know if it will last, but right now I have it with Spencer Hastings. Neither of us meant to hurt you." I finished. Emily was biting her lip, trying to decide by looking in my eyes or at the ground. It made by breath hitch as I remember when I first told her I loved her after she asked what was between Shana and I. It was her look when she was trying to decide whether to believe me.

"Okay." Her word sounded like a period at the end of a sentence.

"Okay?" I asked.

"The girls and I have never fought about a guy…or girl. I'm not going to start now. Spencer deserves to be happy. And you…"

"Deserve the best of everything?" I asked, finally allowing myself to smirk. She has said that to me before it had started with her and Ali. She didn't smirk back, but I let her pass as she moved to get in her car. She started it, still lost in thought. I started to walk away when I heard her softly say my name, almost impossible to discern over the sound of the engine. I jogged back to the car and she rolled her window down.

"Yeah?" She gazed into my eyes, trying to gage my reaction before she spoke.

"I wish I would have fought harder for you."

She drove away before I could even fully understand. When I did, I have to blink back a few tears before returning to the barn.

Spencer's POV

It hadn't been that long, time wise. Maybe fifteen or twenty minutes while the food cooled and my stomach turned up and over on a steady beat. I checked my phone but knew there wouldn't be anything.

I should have been the one to run after her. Emily had been one of my best friends for years. I had violated an unspoken trust, not Paige. My stomach flooded with stress as I had watched Paige look at Emily before running after her. The same look I had seen Paige give Emily all through high school. It was a painful, pleading look.

Would she ever look at me that way? That was a stupid question. I didn't want her to have to. I wouldn't make Paige chase me.

"Hey." Paige said softly from the door. She slipped in. sniffling a bit.

"Maybe we shouldn't…" I started, wanting to give her a way out. Maybe Emily still had feelings for her. She wordlessly strode up to me before taking my face in her hands and kissing me deeply. I groaned into her mouth, a combination of lust and relief.

"I want this Spencer. I want you." She leaned her forward against mine, taking her hands from my face to gently hold both my hands.

"Emily will get over this. She is just shocked." She added.

I want to believe her.

Two weeks later. Emily's POV.

The thing is…I don't want to be jealous. I had every reason not to be. I left Paige. I still didn't know if I could ever trust Paige completely again. But it sure was hard seeing her happy with Spencer. Seeing them together was like some alternative reality wormhole. It jarred my sense of what made sense.

"This is weird." Hanna murmured, looking at me. Waiting for answers or some slip and show of how I was feeling. I was trying not to give that information to her or anyone.

"It's good. We should be happy for them. Spencer really, really likes her." Aria replied, glancing over as Paige and Spencer walked into Noel Kahn's house. Spencer was leaning on Paige's arm, looking happier than I had ever seen her before, almost like a schoolgirl. It was odd seeing Spencer that giddy and happy after so much devastation. She looked free and happy. She had mentioned that night in the theater she just wanted to be happy.

I screwed up before. I didn't really think Paige was at fault for our demise. You think if someone keeps giving you chances, they will never get sick giving you chances. But eventually I ran out of lives with Paige. Game over.

"Hey guys." Spencer said, looking right at me. Her eyes were pleading. She wanted all this to be okay. We had talked of course. The day after Paige had chased me out to the car, Spencer disregarded the fact I wasn't responding to any of her texts or calls and just came over. She cried, asking for forgiveness and explaining she would have never, ever gone for Paige but things had just happened.

I forgave her. I had to. I lost my opportunity with Paige many times over. God. Just thinking about Noel's parties where I let Ali flaunt me like I was Aaron Samuels and she was Regina George. Does she look sexy with her bangs pushed back Paige?

Paige had tried to play it off like it didn't matter. Like she was having a field day being single and a star swimmer before going off to her dream school in California. But I was the desperate hurt in her eyes when she thought I wasn't looking. It was such a small but abrupt change, like an electrical surge, before she would return her attention to whoever she was talking to.

"Hey." I said back quietly, making eye contact with Paige. The look in her puppy dog eyes was almost too much to bear. Paige was exactly the type of person I want to be with. Had wanted to be with.

"LADIES!" Noel Kahn's voice boomed over the murmuring of the crowd. I immediately rolled my eyes as he wrapped one arm each around Spencer and Paige. He was definitely already drunk and trying to be a pig.

"Hey Noel." Spencer muttered, obviously looking displeased. Paige just pretended to accidently elbow him in the stomach, hard enough to knock him back a bit without actually being considered a hit.

"Okay. That's hot though. Spencer Hastings and Paige McCullers. Sure you guys don't want to kiss for a quick pic? It would be a Snapchat I swear." He was waving his phone around as he said it.

"Knock it off Noel." Hanna said decisively, rolling her eyes.

"Okay okay. Let me grab you guys some beers I'll be back." He said, disappearing again into the crowd.

"If those beers aren't sealed when he comes back, not drinking them." Spencer murmurs to Paige. Paige grins and holds Spencer's hand, letting their fingers trail and dance against each other. They were still newly official and couldn't seem to get enough of one another.

"Hey Paige." Caleb said, handing Hanna a beer and sitting next to her.

"It's really nice seeing you again Caleb." Her and Spencer took a seat and it felt a little bit like old times, just like these parties always tended to. Pretty soon I was distracted talking to one of my own swim team members, and Noel was blasting the music so it was hard to hear anything over it. But I kept glancing over at Paige and Spencer, trying to align with the new normal. I started to feel antsy and cut the swimmer off mid-sentence.

"How bout we go do shots?" She looked taken aback for a second, but readily agreed.

Spencer's POV

Everyone seemed to be calm after the initial weirdness of seeing Paige and me together. Well, if calm was being drunk at Noel's place. He had kicked up the music and I had pulled Paige on the makeshift dance floor, moving against her as she held my hips. She suddenly started smiling, looking in my eyes.

"What's that look for?" I asked, dancing flush against her since we were packed like sardines in the house. The weather was nice, so some of the party was starting to spill into the yard to alleviate the overflow. But in here it was like the whole was loud and sweaty from all the people in it.

"Just happy to be here with you." She answered, kissing me. She nodded over at Hanna and Aria.

"They seem to be taking it well." She added. I had told her about Aria's pep talk that had finally given me the nerve to try and move forward. Even Hanna seemed to be pretty cool with things. I kept telling myself Emily just needed more time to warm up to the idea.

"Hey Paige?" It was Caleb again beside us. He had been letting his hair grow back out, his shorter cut getting shaggier.

"Yeah what's up?" Paige asked not taking her arms away from me.

"I'm really happy for you guys…but you can't have Hanna. Aria is probably off limits as well." He smirked while Paige slapped his shoulder as he walked away.

"Thanks I will try to hold myself back." She kissed me on the lips, tracing her fingers along the front of my thigh, on top of my jeans. Even with all these layers between us, I was painfully aware of how much I wanted her. Was I having the same effect on her? Paige could come across as pretty stoic when she was trying to not be obvious in public. Maybe I could break her down a bit.

I twirled around, pressing my back against her while I moved up and down, reaching back to grab her hips with my hands. She let out a low grown in my ear.

"Spencer what are you doing?" She asked playfully, nipping at my ear. That's when I saw him. Toby had come to the party. He was standing not 20 feet away from us. He looked hurt.

"Shit." Paige said. I turned and faced her, cupping her chin so she looked at me.

"Hey…I should go talk to him."

"Of course. I'll occupy myself." I turned and walked up to the former love of my life.

"Toby…" I breathed. "Can we go talk outside?" He nodded and we moved together through the crowd. We managed to find a few empty lawn chairs towards an emptier part of the area.

"What are you doing in town? I thought you were working out in the Illinois somewhere?" I asked. Great start. Let's start grilling him on where he has been and why he's back, avoiding the real issue at hand.

"I have been…I am. I'm back to visit my stepdad…and Jenna. Maybe shop for a new truck." I could barely hid my contempt.

"Really? Visit Jenna? After everything?" He glanced at me and I found it hard not to melt under those pale, blue eyes that I once could spend half a day looking into. He shook his head.

"Please Spencer let's not do this. I hate the things Jenna did as much as anyone but she is family." He retorted. I wanted to keep pursuing, maybe as a way to avoid the real conversation we needed to have, but we were disrupted by a few partygoers nearly tumbling over, nearly spilling their drinks and selves over us.

"Watch it!" I said as I recognized one of them.

"Mike?" He looked up, grinning in all his drunken glory.

"Spencer! What's up? You know I always thought you were pretty cute too, for a friend of Aria's."

"Yeah Mike. Your sister who is in that house. Should I tell her how trashed you are right now?" He seemed to instantly sober up a bit.

"No that won't be necessary. I'm sorry and have a wonderful evening. Please don't tell Aria…I'll even go say hi!" He tried to bow but nearly fell over again before stumbling away. Aria would probably just roll her eyes at him anyway, but it was fun to tease him.

"So are you and Paige…" Toby just trailed off instead of asking outright.

"Yes." I answered back, quickly and resolutely.

"That was something I didn't see coming. Are you happy?" He asked, looking over again. Blue eyes revealing a multitude of conflicted emotions. My stomach felt a little upset. It was one thing to tell Andrew or Santana about this, but another to tell the person I had finally gotten over after years of dating.

"Yes. She's…so different from what I thought she was. If that makes sense. But now I wonder now how I ever thought ill of her back in high school." Wow. That had to be the most romantic thing someone has ever said about their girlfriend. But Toby just looked earnest as he gazed at me.

"I can't say that I haven't missed you Spencer. But I'm glad if you are happy and healthy. I…wanted to reach out to you so many times." He placed his hand on mine and squeezed it reassuringly.

"If you had…maybe things would be different now. But I have to believe things have worked out the way they have for a reason, for all of us." I looked up at the beautiful night sky, with stars scattered like tiny, bright shards of glass. I gave myself another quick moment to wonder what would have happened if Toby and I had fought harder to save our relationship.

"Paige is a good person. Try not to hurt her." The last part didn't sound passive aggressive the way he said it, but it was hard not to take it that way.

"Ouch. Who's to say she wouldn't hurt me somewhere down the road?" I asked, upset that he would basically imply I was the one expected to break things.

"I just saw the way she looked at you. The same way I used to." He stood up, taking his hand away from mine and rubbing his hands against the front of his jeans like there was dirt on them. A nervous habit. "She's in love with you Spencer." He started to walk off.

"Toby?" I called out. He stopped and turned around.

"You are a great guy. I'm sorry things didn't work out. That I couldn't…wouldn't get it together for you." I added, failing to articulate just how sorry I was about hurting him. He smiled graciously at me; his carefully constructed defenses seeming it waver a little.

"I know. Does Emily know about you and Paige?" Well at least I didn't have to explain she knew because she basically walked in on us…twice.

"…yes the others know." I answered. He nodded and headed to the house, presumably to find Emily. I decided to finish my drink outside under the starlight before heading back in. My heart had given a little lurch at seeing Toby so unexpectedly, but that had given way to a platonic sense of calm and security his presence had always given me.

Paige made me calm…at times. But she also surprised me, and made me feel antsy in this confusing but enticing way. After we had dealt with the aftermath of getting together and Emily accidently finding out in the same afternoon, we took advantage of the fact we didn't need to just sneak around. She took me out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in town, holding my hand in between rounds of margaritas and tacos, mumbling about how she would have to get back on her training schedule and diet soon. We had barely been able to make it back to the barn before she tore my clothes off and had me pinned against a wall, nearly animalistic with lust. But then as we tried to haphazardly remove our clothes as we made our way towards the couch, she slowed done and it became something far more intimate and tender.

I was distracted from my revelry by my phone buzzing against my thigh. The message made my blood run cold and skin break out into a quick burst of nervous sweat.

You will always be the consolation prize…hope it is worth it. I'll be watching…

It was from an unknown recipient. I dropped it on the grass, trying to catch my breath as I started to pant, a panic attack threatening to overwhelm me.

Paige's POV

"So now you and Spencer Hastings…" Sydney trailed off, looking up at me expectantly. I looked at the beer label I was busy peeling off my bottle.

"Yeah. We are." Sydney looked confused for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Is Emily okay with it?" I took a moment to think of how to answer. But then I didn't need to.

"Yeah…I'll be fine…how are you Sydney?" Emily asked, joining the conversation. I excused myself to go to the washroom, squeezing through a narrow hallway packed with other partygoers.

Things had seemed so weird, being back at home. Like I had outgrown this life and place, but suddenly someone bounced me back. It helped having Spencer. We had been spending as much time as possible together, usually only breaking our time for social obligations. It had been weird seeing Toby, but he had always been a great guy. I had no doubt he would be cool with everything. And that Spencer didn't have any lingering feelings…right?

When I finally got to the washroom, Emily was waiting for me when I exited. She grabbed my hand and I looked down at our linked fingers, half in awe of how she still took my breath away and half at how surprising and inappropriate the gesture was.

"Do you love her?" I could smell the liquor on her breath.

"Em…we have both been drinking…let's not do this…" I trailed off. I was flustered at her touch even though I shouldn't be.

"We had something great didn't we?" She asked, looking so deeply into my eyes I felt like I was seeing her in tunnel vision. Just Emily and me in this house packed of people.

"Of course we did." I said, my voice heavy with implications I shouldn't be making. She looked pained but I couldn't be the one to fix her anymore. Especially not after everything that happened. She started to lean closer to me.

"But I do love her." I said, hardly believing the words that had escaped my lips. Emily's eyes opened wide, an expression of shocked hurt.

"You and Spencer; doughnuts and dinners. I get it."

"The point is not to try and recreate what we had. You were my first love Emily. But you broke my fucking heart." I felt my eyes trying to water, and tried to will it away by glancing up at a light on the ceiling. We searched each other's eyes, both looking for something. Not finding it, I dropped her hands, embarrassed by how mine had gotten sweaty at her unexpected touch.

"I'm going to go find Spencer." I said, walked towards the sliding door leading the backyard. The warm, summer breeze helped cool my flustered skin. It didn't take me long to find Spencer. She looked so pale and ashen, trying to control her breath as she looked at her phone. I sprinted over, crouching in front of her and resting my hands against her thighs. She glanced up, looking so shaken up.

"Spence…what happened?" She still woke up from terrible nightmares, ones that I also had from time to time. But something had bothered her right here at this party. It couldn't have possibly been her conversation with Toby? She wasn't reconsidering this?

Before I could speak again, she gathered strength from one of her many hidden reserves. It was like a light had switched in her mood and demeanor.

"It may be nothing but a prank, but we shouldn't talk about it here." She stood up and grabbed my hand.

Emily's POV

Stupid Noel Kahn party anyway. It was a dumb idea to come here and have to see Spencer and Paige together. I had basically all but thrown Paige against the wall and kissed her. And I hate myself for it. I don't want to feel this reawakened pain anymore. I just wanted someone, anyone to understand that I was hurt. I also didn't want to be as drunk as I was, knowing tomorrow would be hell.

"Emily Fields." It was Toby. He said my name in a reverent, thoughtful tone but broke into a grin as he hugged me tight against him. I noticed his hands were callused from the demanding work he must be doing out in Chicago.

"Toby. We all missed you. How's Chicago treating you?"

"It's okay. Nothing like home…which in our case isn't a bad thing. The deep dish pizza is tempting but pretty much a death sentence." I laughed, breaking our hug.

"How are you?" That was the million dollar question wasn't it?

"I've been better." I glanced up at the sliding door to the backyard as I said it.

"Yeah…Paige and Spencer. That is something I never could have predicted." He seemed pensive, glancing back at the sliding door himself. I suddenly had a thought.

"Unpredictable can be a great thing…listen can we get out of here? I'm starting to feel far less social and much more claustrophobic." I wanted him to be cool about it. I mean, he had just gotten here. I don't even understand why Toby Cavanaugh would come to Noel Kahn's party now that I thought about it. He looked deep into my eyes, trying to access my feelings. He must have seen something that tipped him off.

"Yeah…let's go." He took my hand and we walked out into the night together.

Third person POV.

"Where the hell did all our friends go anyway?" Hanna asked Aria. Aria shrugged in response.

"I can only imagine." Aria replied.