A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. January was a really busy month for me.

I know that last chapter was a bit angsty, and ended with a mean (?) cliffhanger! ;) You're probably all wondering what happened to Spencer. Well, let's find out right now!

A/N2: Once again, thank you so much to siophiefandom for the awesome betareading. And, you all, siophiefandom posted a new Paily multi-chapter fic yesterday! Yippee! Go and read it now, if you haven't done it yet!

Oakland - Present day

Nick McCullers dropped his travel bag on the front porch and fumbled for the keys in his coat pocket.

He was exhausted, having traveled nonstop since the evening before.

Nick had taken a late stop-over flight from Lincoln, Nebraska, to San Francisco, via Denver, Colorado. He hadn't been able to sleep on board; like his daughter, he had been having trouble sleeping for years.

He was longing for some rest, but also for some good, hot coffee. (The coffee he had on the flight was, as he told the stewardess, "absolutely awful, not to mention cold.")

Nick entered the house and made a beeline for the kitchen. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight in front of him. He had expected to find a few changes in the house (after all, Paige had been living there alone for months), but he definitely wasn't prepared to find a stranger in his own kitchen.

An undeniably attractive, but also lighty clothed young woman, clad only in a loose t-shirt and some boxer shorts was staring at him, her eyes wide.

"Who are you?" the tall, slender girl asked, in a half-scared, half-angry voice.

"Who are you?" Nick McCullers barked back. "And what are you doing here, in my house? Where is Paige?"

"...She went out for a run," the young woman said. She narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her. "Are you her father?"

"Yes, obviously, I am," the middle-aged man said in a stern voice. "And I guess you are... my daughter's new girlfriend?"

"What?" the brunette girl asked, taken aback. "No, not at all. I'm just a friend."

"A friend," Nick McCullers snorted. "Really. And what's your name, may I ask?"

"I'm Spencer, Spencer Hastings," the brunette said firmly.

"Never heard of you before," Nick grumbled.

Spencer frowned. "Really? Well, as I told you, I'm a friend of Paige's. From Rosewood. And, for the record, I've heard a lot about you... sir," she said in a defiant tone, crossing her arms at her chest.

The older man huffed and glared at the young woman in front of him. She was holding his stare, and didn't seem to be intimidated by him at all, unlike most people.

"...Well," Nick groaned, "I guess that what you heard was mostly complaints, then."

He took a seat at the kitchen island and dipped his head, before closing his eyes. He seemed really exhausted and a bit disheartened, and, against all odds, Spencer felt a twinge of sorrow for him.

"...Would you like some coffee, sir?" she asked in a softer voice.

The older man opened his eyes and looked at Spencer. "Yes," he said with a tired smile. "I'd love some coffee."

When Paige entered the kitchen, back from her morning run, she did a double take at the sight of her father and Spencer, apparently casually chatting over coffee.

"Dad?" she asked, dumbfounded. "What are you doing here?"

Nick McCullers stood up. "Hello, Paige," he said in a low voice. "How are you?"

"I'm... fine," Paige said, frowning slightly. "But I didn't know that you were coming back... not that it's a bad thing," she quickly added. "It's your home after all. I'm just... surprised, I guess."

"I get it," Nick McCullers said. "I'm sorry I didn't call you first, Paige, but... I acted on impulse, and hopped on that plane," he said almost sheepishly. "I hope you're okay with that."

Paige stared at her father, puzzled. Since when do you act on impulse? And since when do you care how what I feel?...

Nick took a step forward and gave his daughter an awkward hug, before leaning back.

"Are you... are you here for a visit, or are you back to stay?" Paige asked in a cautious voice.

"Well," Nick said, "We'll talk about that later, Paige. Right now, I really need to take a nap. The trip was exhausting."

Paige glanced at Spencer. "Oh, about that... Spencer is actually staying in the main bedroom, I mean in your room... I'm sorry, I didn't know that you..." she stammered.

Nick McCullers raised a calming hand.

"It's fine, Paige. Your friend here told me about that, and the sleeping arrangements are all settled. I'm not the kind of man to throw a lady out of her room. I'll sleep in the attic. The sofa bed's still in there, right?"

"...Yes, of course," Paige answered, puzzled. "But are you sure that you want..."

"I'll be perfectly fine in the attic," her father cut her off. But uncharacteristically for him, his tone wasn't defensive or aggressive.

Paige's mind was racing. What he is doing here? Why is he acting nice all of a sudden? And how come he and Spencer are getting along?...

A silence fell over the room, only broken by Nick's low voice. "...Well, I know you girls have plans for today. As I said, I really need some rest. I'll be upstairs. It was lovely to meet you, Spencer."

"Thank you, Mr. McCullers. The pleasure was all mine," Spencer answered with a wide smile.

Paige waited until her dad was out of the kitchen, and turned to Spencer.

"What is going on here?" she asked, her brows furrowed.

Spencer shrugged. "I don't really know. Your dad just showed up out of nowhere. Well, technically, out of Lincoln, Nebraska. Which boils down to the same thing, I guess," she joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Spencer, what were you two talking about?"

"Nothing important," Spencer said. "Relax, Paige. Your dad and I actually had a civil, and even rather pleasant, conversation. And I promise we weren't talking about you at all."

Paige sighed and took a seat near Spencer. "Sorry, Spence," she said sheepishly. "It's just that... I can't help thinking that he's got an agenda, you know?"

Spencer patted her friend on the arm soothingly. "I totally understand. Don't forget that I have the same kind of father."

"Yes, I know," Paige said with a half-smile. "Though I've never run into your father in his own kitchen yet. Not to mention, while I was half-clothed," she joked, earning an eye roll from Spencer.

"Well, he looked surprised, that's for sure," the slender brunette smirked. "And I was, too. My first thought was that he was a burglar, or even a maniac."

Paige scoffed. "Well, don't tell him that, please."

"I won't," Spencer giggled. "And don't worry, after the initial shock, we introduced ourselves properly. As I told you, we had a nice little chat. And I even told him why I left UPenn and came over here."

Paige's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Well, just the big picture, of course", Spencer said. "The whole story would be... too embarrassing."

"About that," Paige said. "Did you call Melissa?"

"Yes," Spencer nodded. "She was really supportive. She said she'd talk to our parents. And she was really relieved to hear that I'm not alone here."

"You're not," Paige affirmed. "We'll find a solution. We're team McHastings!" she exclaimed, nudging Spencer playfully.

Spencer smiled at her friend. "Well, yeah, I guess were are. Speaking about teams - at what time exactly is the swim meet tomorrow afternoon?"

Paige looked down, biting her lip. "...Three o'clock," she said reluctantly. "Do you really think it's a good idea, Spence? I'm not so sure..."

"It is," Spencer said forcefully. "And you agreed to come with me, McCullers. Don't chicken out now. I kept my part of the deal: I called my sister."

One week earlier

Paige was pacing back and forth in the arrival hall at San Francisco aiport, anxiously waiting for Spencer's flight to land.

She had phoned Aria back, of course. The petite brunette had been rather cryptic, only informing Paige that Spencer had left Rosewood hastily and on impulse - something very un-Spencery.

From what Aria had said, it was obvious that something had happened in Spencer's life, something major. But the petite girl hadn't revealed any details.

"Spencer will tell you about it, well, at least I hope she will," Aria had explained.

"Okay, Aria, but... does Spencer know that I'm gonna meet her at the airport? And... did you call Emily too?" Paige had asked cautiously.

"Well, no. Paige, just so you know, Spencer made me swear not to tell Em or Hanna. But she didn't say anything about you, so... that's why I called you," Aria had admitted almost sheepishly.

When Paige spotted Spencer among the arriving passengers from Philadelphia, she pushed her way through the crowd and called out her friend's name.

Spencer stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening at the sight of the auburn-haired girl.

"Paige? But how..." she stammered, before realization dawned on her. "Aria," she said, shaking her head, looking more weary than upset.

"Yes, Aria," Paige confirmed. She reached for Spencer's travel bag and studied her friend's face. Spencer looked exhausted, paler than ever, and had dark circles beneath her eyes.

"She just told me that you're... in trouble. She seemed really worried, and I am, too. Spencer, what happened? And were you planning to call me?" Paige asked.

Spencer looked away reluctantly.

"Spencer," Paige said softly.

"...Maybe later," Spencer muttered. "I didn't want to bother you. I've booked a room in a hotel in downtown San Francisco for tonight."

"Nonsense," Paige said in a firm tone. "You're coming with me. There's plenty of room at my place."

Spencer opened her mouth to protest, but Paige gave her a stern look.

"Hastings. It's late, and you look really worn out. You can go wherever you want to tomorrow, but for now you're coming with me. End of discussion."

One hour later, Spencer joined Paige in the McCullerses' kitchen. She was feeling slightly better after having showered and changed into her pajamas.

Paige had gotten her settled in the master bedroom, which hadn't been used since Nick McCullers' departure.

Paige, who was busy reheating some leftovers, turned around and smiled at the slender brunette.

"Dinner's on the way," she said.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry at all," Spencer muttered. She took a seat at the kitchen's island and let out a deep sigh.

"You should eat," Paige observed. "You're thinner than ever, and that's really saying something."

"Who are you now, my mother?" Spencer snapped, before quickly backtracking at the look of hurt on Paige's face.

"Sorry, Paige, I... I didn't mean that. It's just... I don't want to eat," she said in a sheepish voice.

"What do you want then?" Paige asked.

Spencer shook her head. "I don't really know," she admitted.

"Do you need to get drunk?" Paige proposed. "Cause we can definitely do that. I've got this twenty-year old single malt whiskey I brought back from Ireland."

Spencer raised a brow before letting out a small laugh. "That's tempting," she said. "How come you haven't opened that bottle yet?"

"I was saving it for a major crisis," Paige deadpanned. "And I wasn't going to drink it alone, all by myself, was I? But now, you're the perfect excuse."

"Bring out the whiskey, then," Spencer said with a small smile. "But just a few shots, okay? I don't want to get drunk. Not yet, at least. And you should stay sober too, if you want to listen to the whole story."

"I do," Paige affirmed. "I'm all ears, whenever you're ready."

The two girls settled in the living room, the bottle of whiskey and two glasses with in reach on the coffee table.

Paige waited patiently for Spencer to start speaking. Her friend was staring blankly into space, her eyes glassy, though she hadn't started drinking yet.

"...So," Spencer finally said after a few minutes of silence. "I don't even know where to start."

"Wherever you want," Paige simply said.

Spencer sighed deeply. " Well, be warned, because it's a rather long story."

"No problem," Paige said. "We've got time."

She reached out for the bottle of whiskey and poured herself a glass. "Want some?" she asked Spencer.

"Not yet," the brunette answered. "Probably later. When I want to drown myself in self-pity."

"Um, believe me, I've been there," Paige said with a half-smile. She took a sip of her whiskey. "Wow," she whispered, her eyes widening. "My cousin Kieran wasn't kidding. That's really something."

Spencer glared at Paige. "McCullers. Stop playing the whiskey card on me. Do you want to hear my story, or not?"

"Definitely," Paige said, putting the glass back on the coffee table. "Sorry, Spencer. Go ahead."

"...So, " Spencer started. "I guess it's better to start from the beginning. You remember that I told you that after Toby, I wanted to stay single for a while and focus on my studies? "

Paige nodded silently. Spencer and Toby Cavanaugh, her long-time boyfriend, had broken up at the end of senior year, in high school . There were no hard feelings; they had been drifting apart for a while, and had come to the realization that they didn't want the same things in life. Spencer's main goal was to pursue a successful career in law, preferably in a big city, after graduating from college. Toby, on the other hand, wanted to live in a small town, and planned to build a family quickly.

Paige recalled Spencer telling her the news over the phone, about a year earlier. Spencer hadn't seemed depressed then. A little sad, of course, but that was understandable.

"...And you remember," Spencer resumed, "that every time you asked me over the phone about my, uh, love life, I told you that it was non-existent? That I wasn't even dating anybody?"

Paige nodded again.

"Well," Spencer said, "I wasn't telling the truth entirely... Oh hell, whom am I kidding? I was lying," she confessed, her eyes down.

"Okay," Paige said in an even tone. "I guess you had your reasons for that."

Spencer glanced at her friend. "Yeah," she mumbled. "You could say that. It was... a secret, you know? No one could know, at any cost."

Paige frowned. "So... are you saying that you have a... secret relationship with someone? And the guy wants to keep it a secret, too? Wait, it's a guy, right?"

Spencer rolled her eyes. "Yes, McCullers. Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't switch teams. Yes, I'm talking about a guy. A man," she added.

"...Older?" Paige asked.

Spencer nodded. "Much older," she admitted, blushing slightly. "And... married."

"Oh," Paige said, at a loss for words.

"I know how it sounds," Spencer said bitterly. "Yes, I was 'the other woman'."

"Spencer, I'm not going to judge you, certainly not," Paige said in a soft voice. "But you said 'was'... it's over then?"

The brunette closed her eyes and sighed. "...Yeah," she said. "Of course it is. We managed to keep it a secret for a few months, but then..."

"What happened? The... his wife found out?" Paige asked cautiously.

Spencer opened her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Well, yes, eventually, she did. And she wasn't the only one. It was all over the campus social media."

Paige frowned, puzzled. "What? But why? Wasn't it a private matter?"

Spencer glared at the auburn girl. "Paige. Don't you get it? This man was my professor at UPenn. Not to mention, the Dean's husband."

"Oh, wow," Paige said, bemused.

"And it gets worse," Spencer said in a somber tone. "The Dean, Kathlyn Whitfield, that's her name... she happens to be a good friend of my parents. She even went to college with my mother. Can you believe it?"

"Oh wow," Paige said again, earning another glare from Spencer. "Um, sorry, Spence. I just... I wasn't expecting anything like that."

"Well, believe me, nobody was," Spencer snorted. "Especially not my family. And according to the UPenn newspaper, it was the scandal of the year."

"I seriously doubt that," Paige countered.

"Well, try googling me, and you'll see," Spencer retorded. "'Slut' and 'whore' have been the most common hits for 'Spencer Hastings' these past days", she said bitterly.

Paige shook her head vigorously. "But Spencer... that's totally wrong, and so unfair. They blame you? But what about him? He's the married one. You're not."

Spencer sighed deeply. "Well, Paige, you know how it works. The woman is always the culprit. They even call me the 'evil seductress' on campus.

"That's insane," Paige said. "And... that's why you left? Because of the scandal?"

Spencer dipped her head. "Yes. I couldn't face it anymore. The shame, the hate even... And... also because... well, he left me," she confessed, her voice almost breaking.

"What?" Paige said in disbelief. "He was the one who broke it off?"

"...Yeah," Spencer sighed. "He literally ran back to his wife when it went viral. I was so stupid. I... I was in love, you see? And I thought he loved me too, you know? When we met, he told me that his marriage wasn't working anymore, and the usual stuff. And I bought that. God, I can't believe I did," she said, running a distressed hand through her hair.

"Spencer," Paige said, "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be," Spencer mumbled. "I'm the one to blame. Oh god, I feel so ashamed. And what a cliché: the married professor and his student. And, to quote my father, 'it had to be the Dean's husband.'"

"Well," Paige observed, "it's not as if you had a choice, if you... if you loved him", she said carefully. "We don't choose whom we fall in love with."

Spencer nodded sadly. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she whispered, dipping her head. She grabbed a plaid blanket that was on the couch and wrapped it around herself, shivering.

"I'm always cold these days," she told Paige with a sheepish look. "I don't really know why though."

"Well, you've been through a lot," Paige observed. Spencer really looked exhausted, and Paige couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

I was so focused on my story with Emily that I didn't pay any attention to Spencer. She was always there for me when I needed her... I guess now is the time for me to be here for her.

"...So, your parents reacted strongly?" Paige asked. "Both of them?"

"Yes, and that's an understatement," Spencer said. "My father was in such a fury, I've never heard him yelling like that before. And my mother... the look in her eyes... as if she felt so disappointed, disgusted by me, even."

"No, no, Spencer, I can't believe that," Paige protested. "She's your mother, she has to understand. At least, she has to support you."

"Paige, we're the Hastingses," Spencer stated. "My family... doesn't work like yours, like a middle-class family. Sorry, that came out wrong," she added hastily. "What I mean, is... the Hastings clan has a social status to maintain, to quote my father. And they hate any form of publicity. Not to mention scandals. We have to be examples, that's what my mother says all the time. Examples of good behavior, and virtue."

"Virtue?" Paige asked, dumbfounded. "But Spence... we're humans. We all make mistakes, sometimes. Even big ones." The way I did, with Emily.

"Well, tell that to my parents," Spencer said bitterly.

"And what about your sister? Does she know?" Paige asked.

"Yes, she does. And by the way, Melissa really surprised me," Spencer admitted. "She actually stood with me against our parents."

"That's good," Paige approved. "Does Melissa know you're here?"

Spencer shook her head. "No. I acted on impulse. The only one who knows I'm here is Aria; you already know that. But I guess I'll have to call Melissa later, though. I don't want my family to launch a nationwide search for me," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Yep," Paige said with a half-smile. "That would be bad."

The two girls remained silent for a moment, until Paige spoke again.

"...You could have told me from the start, you know," she said softly. "I get why you wanted to keep it private, and it's pretty obvious why you told Aria... because of um, her relationship with Mr Fitz... with Ezra, but I would have understood too. You're my best friend, Spencer. You can tell me anything. Including things like this."

Spencer smiled at the auburn girl. "Yes, I know, Paige. Why do you think I ran out here?"

"Well, maybe to put the greatest distance you could between you and your parents, without leaving the country?" Paige grinned.

"Yeah, that was the idea," Spencer smirked. "And the plane ticket to Alaska or to Hawaii is too expensive anyway. Besides, I knew that you wouldn't judge me."

"Why? Because of what I did to Emily?" Paige asked softly.

Spencer's eyes widened. "Paige, no. Not at all. That's not what I mean. It's just that... you and me, we understand each other, right?"

"I like to think that," Paige grinned. "And I'm glad you ran away to California... instead of Alaska or Hawaii," she said with a wink.

Spencer gave her a thankful smile. "Yeah, I am too. And now, pour me a shot of that fabulous whiskey of yours, McCullers. I think it's time."

Berkeley - present day

Emily got out of the pool and took off her swimming goggles, shaking her head in frustration. She definitely wasn't happy with herself. Her times were far from her best, which wasn't surprising considering her inability to focus that day. Or the days before.

"...Hey Fields," said a loud voice behind her. "What's wrong? You sure seem to have lost all your mojo lately."

Emily huffed and turned around to face the tall, broad-shouldered girl who was staring at her, hands on her hips. Rochelle was the team captain, and one of the best swimmers Emily had ever seen. She was self-assured, even a little cocky sometimes, but she was a very good leader, always taking care of her teammates.

"I don't know what you mean," Emily said in a defensive tone.

Rochelle rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Emily. Your swimming has been really off for a week or so. I get it if you're saving your energy for the competition, but do I have to remind you that the meet against Austin is tomorrow?"

"Well," Emily grumbled, "Tell me something I don't know, captain."

Rochelle frowned at the younger girl. "Fields. I don't know what's going on with you, but you need to pull yourself together real quickly. You're one of my best assets, you know."

Emily snorted. "Yeah, and that's why you pulled me out of the relay today."

The tall girl in front of her shook her head. "It wasn't a punishment. Don't you get it, Emily? The team needs you, and now is definitely not the time to falter," she observed.

Emily sighed and dipped her head. "I know that," she said in a barely audible voice.

"Freshman year can be a lot of pressure," Rochelle conceded in a softer tone. "But you did a wonderful job in the pool these past months. So, what's wrong now?"

The raven-haired girl didn't answer, but bit her bottom lip and looked away.

She couldn't tell her captain that she had been waiting for a sign from her ex-girlfriend since their fight, a week earlier. And that she was too proud to take the first step herself. She knew she couldn't blame Paige for being silent; after all, Emily was the one who had asked for some space.

"Everything's okay," Emily said. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

She could feel Rochelle's worried eyes on her.

"...Okay," her captain said after a while. "I really hope so, Emily. Now, go hit the shower, and try to relax tonight. And please, don't go to bed too late. I want you in top form for the meet tomorrow, okay?"

Emily just nodded, and then grabbed her towel and headed for the locker room, her head down. Tomorrow is gonna be a long, long day.

A/N: Just a quick comment about Spencer's remark about Nebraska. Please Nebraskans, don't feel offended. It was just a joke; My paternal grandfather was from Omaha, and of course we all know Lindsey is from Lincoln. So... it was just a wink. Go Cornhuskers! ;) subway20