Okay! This is the last November chapter! Next chapter is December and Christmas. And that should probably be only one!

Review, okay? Things are going to progress pretty quickly from here, so prepare yourselves, okay?

ALSO!? Who bought 1989?! Because S2G I LOVE IT. Taylor Swift is the freaking best.

Chapter 10

November

The first thing that he was aware of was a dull buzzing. It tickled his ears. Slowly that buzzing transformed into intelligible words.

"How do you think he's doing?"

"I don't know, but if he's still unconscious by the time that Spencer gets in here she's probably going to burst an aneurysm or something."

They wouldn't be talking so cavalierly about Spencer if she wasn't okay. And that was the most important thing to him. Everything else would come in time. The procedure either worked on him or it didn't, but at the very least he could rest easily now that he knew he hadn't hurt his wife.

"Right? Aren't they disgusting? Like honestly, they both got surgery and all they can think about is each other."

"Would you three shut up and help me over there?"

Even in his semi-conscious state Spencer's voice both set his body at ease and put all of his nerve endings on edge. She was here. She was here, and she was okay. She was okay. Nothing else mattered right now.

He only knew that she was next to him by her soft and gentle fingers on his face. She traced abstract patterns along his jawline. "I know that it's probably nice sleeping and all... Less painful for sure. But I miss you, baby. Come back to me now, okay?"

He felt her lips against his forehead. "I'm doing fine. Maybe a little... a lot... sore. But overall I'm doing perfectly fine. And hopefully you are too. Hopefully this ended all of this, because you don't deserve the pain. You don't deserve being sad all of the time. Maybe this did it. But if it didn't I promise that I'm still here for you. You'll never be alone. Just wake up."

She took on too much. He could hear just from her voice the burden his well-being placed on here. He hated it. He hated being a source of sadness for her, because she deserved nothing but joy. She saved him from so much... the thought of more of his baggage on her shoulders literally and figuratively killed him. He mustered up all of his strength and let out a pained groan. His throat felt raw and painful, but he knew that the noise would catch her intention.

"Toby?" Her voice breathed hopefully. Her fingers tightened around his hand. "Can you open your eyes for me, baby?"

"Just open your eyes, Toby!" Hanna groaned. "We need you two to kiss and stop being so gross."

"Wouldn't that be more gross, Han?" Caleb chuckled.

He heard a smacking noise, and he assumed that Hanna had smacked Caleb. He groaned again and put all of his energy into forcing his eyes open. It only lasted for a second, but it was enough for him to catch a glimpse of her face. The broad smile... the tired eyes with the sheen of tears... her pale and sweaty skin. That single glimpse of her was enough to give him the strength the rip his eyes open again.

She smiled and lean forward. She put a hand on the side of his face. "Are you okay? Do I need to get a nurse?"

He put his hand over top of hers and leaned into it. "Don't go." His voice sounded horrible. Like gravel tore up his vocal chords.

She just looked at him for a long moment before nodding. "Okay. But are you okay? Are you in pain?"

There was some pain, but it wasn't anything significant. He mostly just felt weak, so he shook his head. Although, if he were honest he'd probably downplay getting his arm gnawed off by a grizzly bear if he thought the truth would frighten her. "A-are you okay?"

She rolled her eyes as she leaned down and lightly ran her nose over his in their signature eskimo kiss before resting her forehead on his. "I'm fine," she whispered, her lips just above his own. "I'm perfectly fine now that you're awake."

"Be honest with me, Spencer." He recognized the hypocrisy in his statement, but he didn't feel guilty.

She sighed, her hot breath warming his cold lips. "My hips are really sore. Kind of like that time I fell down the stairs in the library. And I'm not sure that I have enough energy to do much of anything, but that's just fine. Because there's no where else I want to be."

He nodded seriously and pulled her head down to give her a soft kiss. "Thank you. Seriously, you didn't have to do this."

"Yes I did." She smiled in a way that lit up her whole face. "You know I did."

Maybe she did, but he wished she hadn't had to. He kissed her one last time before turning to his friends. "You guys didn't have to stay."

Hanna rolled her eyes. "Stop being so self-sacrificing, Toby. You would have stayed for any one of us and probably baked cookies for the nurses."

Spencer laughed, and he knew why. "Don't," he told her, fighting to hide a smile. Hanna didn't need to know how accurate her statement was.

"What are you doing?" Spencer asked him as she walked into the kitchen.

He jumped at her unexpected presence. "Um-"

"Are you making cookies? I didn't know you could bake!" She took a spoonful of the mixture into her mouth. "This is really good. What is it?"

He was momentarily distracted by her lips on the spoon. That was how he knew he loved her. Even something as trivial as her eating was mesmerizing. "Um- white chocolate and cranberries. I'm taking them to my mom's nurses. They've- they've taken really good care of her, and-"

She smiled and dropped the spoon, pulling him in for a kiss. "You are the sweetest person in the world, Toby Cavanaugh."

"You two are cute with your little secret looks," Hanna laughed. "But now that you're awake, Toby, I think Caleb and I are going to head out."

He smiled at the best friends that he had ever had. His childhood was lonely, but it was worth it since it led to people like this in his life. "Thanks for staying, guys. Seriously."

Caleb clapped his shoulder. "I'll come free you from all this estrogen as soon as you're home." He nodded toward Spencer. "This one's got finals coming up, so she's going to need a babysitter."

He rolled his eyes at the babysitter comment, but knew that it was accurate. She wasn't going to leave him alone for awhile. "Looking forward to kicking your ass at some more video games," he chuckled.

"Yeah right," Caleb smirked and turned to Emily. "You want a ride, Em?"

The brunette nodded and rose to her feet. She came over and kissed Toby's cheek. "Feel better, okay?"

All this attention was getting uncomfortable, so he was almost glad that his friends were leaving. "See you soon, Em."

And with that his friends were gone. He was left with Spencer, which would never be a bad thing. If he were on a deserted island with the company of no one else in the world he would have wanted it to be Spencer. "Now what do we do?"

"Do you want me to run to the Redbox or something? Maybe get some food from the cafeteria?"

He rolled his eyes again and held his arm out to her. "No, I want you to get up here. I'm still feeling tired, and whether you admit it or not I know you are too."

"Toby-"

He didn't know what her deal was with getting on the bed with him, but he would wear her down today. Because the only thing that he wanted in the world was to cuddle with his wife. "Please, Spence."

She softened and hesitated before nodding. He frowned when she winced, pulling herself to her feet. But she recovered quickly, unfolding herself onto the bed with him. She laid her head on his chest and grabbed his far hand, absentmindedly playing with his fingers. "Toby?"

"Hmm?" He took a strand of her soft hair into his free hand and twirled it around. Playing with her hair was one of his favorite things.

She hesitated. "Nevermind."

"What is it, Spence?" She was never one to hold back what was on her mind.

"I just-" she paused again. "I love you so much. And I know- I know you feel like you're burdening me right now, but don't, okay? Because I still feel so lucky. Every single day that I'm with you I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Anyone who is lucky enough to know you... to be loved by you... they all feel the same way. You're never a burden."

His throat felt tight for a second. With just a few words she alleviated every worry that he had had over the last month. "I love you too," he choked out.

The last few days that he spent in the hospital were some of the longest of his life. All he wanted to do was go home. He wanted to feel the sun again. He wanted to get ready for Thanksgiving. He wanted to shop for Christmas presents. He wanted to sleep in his own bed again. All he wanted to do was get back to his life.

It wouldn't be the same. He wasn't in remission yet, but he was feeling better than he had in a long time. Maybe the bone marrow transplant had worked, but even if it hadn't he was thankful for this little peaceful interlude.

"Are you ready?"

He grinned at her as she zipped their bags shut. They were finally going home. "I don't think that I've ever been more ready for anything in my entire life."

She laughed and slung both of the bags over her shoulders as an orderly wheeled in the wheel chair that would take him to the parking lot. "Let me have the bags, Spence."

She paused, obviously thinking much too hard about it. Even if he was walking he'd insist on carrying them, but he was sitting. They'd just rest in his lap. "Spencer-"

"You can have one of them," she compromised, plopping his much lighter bag in his lap. It was small, but it was a compromise. Something she actually wasn't that awesome at. He would take what he could get.

As the went through the hallways of the hospital he was struck by just how weird it was. He hadn't left this building in over a month, but he knew so little of it. All of his surroundings were unfamiliar. As the approached the glass entrance to the hospital he smiled. The sun felt nice against his face. Even if he was still sick, he was sure that going home for awhile was the best thing for him.

"Hanna and Caleb said that they'd come over later. And Emily told me that she'd be by tomorrow. She has to work tonight, and-"

He grabbed her wrist, cutting her rambling off. She looked at him questioningly, but got his intent as he tugged her downward. He pressed a long kiss to her lips. He didn't care what the future held, because right now things were perfect.