When Skies Are Grey

by AnthroQueen

There are so many words to describe their life together; hectic, wonderful, crazy, so insanely happy. It's never gotten easier; only better with time. It's them. It's perfect. And they wouldn't change a thing.

20. point me toward tomorrow

Hey friends! Wow, remember that awkward time that I wanted to write a wedding chapter for Spencer and Toby and it ended up being over 18,000 words? Yeah, you probably don't remember that because it's literally happening right now. Every time I wanted to end the chapter, I had a new idea and then it got longer and longer and I never shut up. SO. I'm super sorry it's so long but I mean... It's the 20th chapter so it's kind of a big deal, I guess? And it's the 20th of August! It's almost like I planned it! (I did. I finished the chapter five days ago :P)

Today's chapter title comes from "What I Did For Love" from the musical "A Chorus Line," one of my personal favorites. Thank you for being wonderful readers and reviewers. I'm going to go before this gets any longer. Byeeee!

---

kiss today goodbye and point me toward tomorrow

It's April and her entire master's program has already gone by and she's not sure how she missed it.

But, she's accomplished more than the average 24-year-old and she's pretty sure her pre-graduation stress, master's thesis and wedding planning have something to do with it.

Their wedding is this weekend. Honestly, it doesn't even seem real, because they don't live together, she's been studying nonstop for her finals, and this morning she went to the graduation rehearsal instead of her final wedding dress fitting (she's basically just hoping for the best, there). Her things are in boxes back in her apartment and she's pretty much a bundle of stress these days, but what else is new? They don't have time for a honeymoon- not until the summer, anyway- so they're going away for a long weekend in the Poconos, but until then, she's getting ready to move back into his loft to spend lazy summer days as husband and wife. The thought of this, honestly, is the reason she's powering through, because with everything else on her mind, she's not sure how else she'd be able to do it.

To be honest, this whole long distance thing is really shitty. She'd tried so hard to convince Toby to move out here to New Haven with her before she'd begun her graduate schooling, and she'd tried again after they'd gotten engaged, and she'd tried again when she had an anxiety attack while home for the weekend with him at a wine tasting, and still, he's in Rosewood and she's hundreds of miles away. She wants to be mad at him for this and, honestly, on her worst days, she is. But she understands his reasoning; he's busy. So is she. And to be fair, they're really bad at getting things done when they're together and really good at distracting one another from important tasks. None of those things combine for a successful completion of a master's degree or the attainment of return clients for Toby's business. So it makes sense; really, it does. But just because something makes sense doesn't mean it also doesn't totally suck.

She's turning in her thesis tomorrow morning and then making the long drive home- solo, because Toby has to pick up his tux and meet with the caterer last minute and pick up some out of town relatives from the airport. They'd compromised with her parents on only one thing- the location of the wedding. Gone were the twelve-tiered cake, the mustard and charcoal color scheme and the guest list of five hundred people, but they had finally relented on allowing the wedding to be held at her family's favorite spot- the Rosewood Country Club. Spencer honestly couldn't give a single shit about the club- that was always her parents' and sister's favorite place to be- but she'd be doing her and Toby's relationship a huge disservice if she ignored the Rosewood factor. It was the sole reason they had ever met, had ever noticed one another, had ever bonded over mutually sad existences, and though it brought both of them so much pain at times it was unbearable, it had also brought them so many good times, so many memories, and so much love. So they got their intimate wedding of only close family and friends, a color scheme of white, marsh and gemstone blue, and a simple, bookish atmosphere with hints of Scrabble here and there and her parents got their Rosewood wedding (so they don't have to travel) and the country club (so they can boast to their friends come Monday morning) and everyone's happy.

She's trudging up the stairs to their apartment, ignoring the howls and shouts from the frat house across the street (she'll never forgive her roommate for making them rent on Greek Row) and trying desperately not to think of all the things she still has to do. She needs to call the florist to make sure they deliver the flowers- and the right flowers- on time on Saturday and she needs to call the club to confirm the rehearsal dinner and the reception. She needs to proofread her thesis, all eighty-five pages of it, for the umpteenth time and she needs to print it out and bind it and keep it away from anything that could touch and destroy it. She frowns when she pulls out her phone and realizes Toby hasn't texted her all day, but she imagines he's probably just as busy as she is, these days; the wedding planning has been nonstop and, hey, he's the one with the full-time job, too. She unlocks the door to the apartment and finds her roommate in the downward facing dog position on a yoga mat in their empty living room.

Spencer smirks and says, "Way to make use of our ample space."

Amanda chuckles and stands, stretching into a tree pose next. "Well, what else was I supposed to do? All the furniture's on the truck and my things are in boxes."

Spencer shakes her head. "Can you believe we're done already? Feels like yesterday we started."

"It pretty much was," Amanda agrees. "And you're getting married this weekend. We're getting old as fuck."

Laughing, Spencer asks, "You'll be there, right?"

"I'm pretty sure you've asked me this everyday since you got engaged," Amanda rolls her eyes. "Of course I'm coming, are you kidding? Open bar? Single guys I've never met nor hooked up with yet? Sign me up."

"Okay," Spencer comments. "Maybe we aren't growing up."

Amanda purses her lips before nodding towards the kitchen counter. "You have mail, The Future Mrs. Cavanaugh."

"Oh do I?" She wonders and her heart still flutters, even now, at the sound of her soon-to-be surname. She pads cross the floor and finds the envelope, chuckling when she realizes that it's her address scrawled in his oddly beautiful handwriting, but the name attached to the address is exactly what her roommate had said.

The Future Mrs. Cavanaugh.

She takes the envelope to her bedroom, closing the door behind her, and it clicks in place and echoes throughout the empty room. Navigating her way through boxes, Spencer sits down upon her bed and tears the envelope open, finding a card with a message on the front in bold, colorful font that makes her tear up upon reading it: You're there and I'm here and between us are stupid planes and buses and too-long-for-one weekend car rides. Can we just be in the same place already? If ever there was a Hallmark card that spoke to her soul, it's this one. She chuckles somewhat miserably and then opens it, reading Toby's personalized message next: Three more days, Spencer. Or, probably two or one by the time you get this. I miss you so much and I can't wait to see you. Good luck on your thesis- I know you'll knock it out of the park. Love, Toby. P.S.- I addressed the envelope 'The Future Mrs. Cavanaugh' but I'm fully expecting you to lecture me on how sexist this is or something. You definitely don't have to change your last name if you don't want to, okay? Okay. I love you!

She has the best fiancé in the entire world.

Spencer's barely finished the card before she's dialing his number. Also, those tears are officially streaming down her face, because she loves him and misses him so much, but he doesn't particularly need to know about her sudden bout of emotions. He answers on the third ring and sounds about as exhausted as she feels when he does. "Hey. Everything okay?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," Spencer says, sighing and leaning back against the wall. If she closes her eyes, she can pretend he's here beside her and not hundreds of miles away. "Is something wrong?"

"No. No, I just… I just got off the phone with my dad. But it's fine. It's whatever."

Spencer frowns. "I doubt it. What did he say?"

"Nothing. I don't want to give you anymore ammunition."

"Please," Spencer scoffs. "If he's going to be his usual self I won't even need any."

She hears him chuckle and takes this as a personal victory. He's not easy to cheer up following conversations with his father. "It's nothing. What's going on there? Turn in your thesis yet?"

"No and it's burning a hole on my desk, basically," Spencer sighs. "Tomorrow morning. I can't wait until it's away from me. I'm so sick of looking at it."

"Will you send me a copy? So I can read it?"

Her heart melts. "You'd want to?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because it's 85 pages of me rambling on about autism, ADHD, Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders," Spencer says. "It's not exactly The Catcher in the Rye, Toby."

"I don't care. You wrote it. You worked really, really hard on it. And I don't know that much about neurodevelopmental disorders, so who better to teach me?"

She'd marry him on the spot if she could. She sighs dreamily and says, "I love you so much."

"I love you too. I miss you. I'm excited to see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I can't wait," Spencer says and her heart does a little somersault in anticipation. "I got your card today."

"Jeez, finally. I sent that forever ago. Did you like it?"

"Loved it, except it made me miss you even more," Spencer frowns. "This long distance thing is total bullshit."

"I know. But it's almost done. We're almost there. And if we survived six years of this, I think we can survive twenty-four hours."

"Twenty-one," Spencer corrects. "I should be home by noon, twelve-thirty at the latest."

"Okay. That's good. You can come to the meeting with the caterer with me."

"Okay," She nods. "Twenty-one hours. We can do this."

"We can. Because after those twenty-one hours, we'll never be apart again."

"Well not never," Spencer disagrees. "I'm starting my doctoral degree program in August and you'll still travel for work."

"Yeah, but I'm moving to New York with you and I'll always come back. It won't ever be too long. You know that."

"Yeah, that's true," Spencer grins. "I can't wait. I can't wait to live together. I can't wait to get married. I can't wait to be together all the time; so much that we'll get sick of each other."

He laughs again, saying, "I can't wait for those things, too, though I'm not sure we'll get sick of each other."

"Well," Spencer beams. "We'll soon get the opportunity to find out."

---

He's just returned to the loft and is hanging his tuxedo in his closet when he gets a text from Spencer saying she'll be home in ten minutes. He grins and his entire body ignites with anticipation, physically aching with longing and the desire to see her. It may have been his decision, initially, to remain focused upon their own goals in their own respective locations, but it doesn't mean he's enjoyed it any more than Spencer has. In fact, it's been quite the opposite; there have been days where he's been so miserable, so incredibly lonely, that's he's considered just saying fuck it and packing up his things to move out there with her. He's always glad, after, that he hadn't; he doesn't want to mess anything up. They have a plan and, like it or not, they're going to stick to it.

After he secures his tux, Toby heads downstairs to The Brew and orders them each a coffee, knowing she's been awake since the crack of dawn and will certainly need her caffeine fix by the time she reaches him. He's just begun to ascend the stairwell back towards the loft when he hears a car coming down the road and, grinning, he spots her behind the wheel. Gently, he places the coffees on the landing and takes the stairs two at a time as she parks and fumbles with her seatbelt, scrambling out of the car. In two long strides, he's reached her and she beams upon the sight of him, laughing a bit, before launching herself into his open arms. And there's no greater feeling, Toby thinks. There is no greater feeling than this, holding her, smelling her hair, kissing her, just simply being with her and he's so damn lucky because in just two short days, they're going to be husband and wife.

He has no intention of ever letting her go and he's pretty sure she feels the same way, because her arms never leave their spot around his neck. After a beat, he feels her sigh against him before saying, "This was the dumbest thing we've ever done and I'm never letting you make a decision again."

Toby laughs and kisses her hair, her neck, her shoulder. "Oh yeah? I don't get a say, anymore?"

"Toby, we're going to be married in a few days," She says as if he doesn't know, when in reality, it's all he can think about. "You don't get a say for the rest of our lives."

His arms drop from around her and the grin on her face falters just a bit. He shakes his head, shrugging, and heads up the stairs to the loft. "Oh. Okay, then. I guess you don't need this coffee I got for you, either then. I thought it might be nice, but since I don't get a say…"

"Wait," She trails after him. "You got me coffee?"

"No, I got me two coffees."

Spencer pulls a face and climbs the stairs, pulling the door shut behind her. "I was kidding. You know we're going to be equals. We always have been."

"Yeah, you say that now, but…" He grimaces after he takes a sip of her coffee and places it on the table beside his. "Oh my god. This is awful. I can't even pretend to drink this."

"Stop making fun of my coffee," Spencer rolls her eyes, her arms crossing over her chest. "And come make out with me."

"Make out with you?" Toby asks as though he's never entertained the idea. "But your car is full of boxes we have to unload."

"We have all summer! Come make out with me!"

"But," He continues to tease. "Your coffee! You were all bent out of shape about it a second ago."

"It's better iced, anyway," She shrugs. "Kiss me!"

He grins, crosses the room, and scoops her up, laying on one her, Notebook-style. They're both out of breath when she frames his face in her hands and whispers, "That was needlessly dramatic."

"You're needlessly dramatic all the time and yet, we keep you around."

She giggles and kisses him again and his toes curl and his heart skips a beat and he's not sure he's ever felt this happy in his life. "I've missed you so much."

Spencer grins and gets that look in her eye, the one he knows all too well. She cocks an eyebrow at him and suddenly, she's all bedroom eyes. "Yeah? How much?"

"We can't," He laments. "We have to meet with the caterer in twenty minutes. And I have to pick up my grandparents and my aunt from the airport in Philly."

She frowns. "Twenty minutes? We've made do with less."

"We haven't seen each other in a month and I don't totally trust us, right now," Toby tells her and she bites her lip, knowing he's right. "But tonight. I'm taking you out to dinner to celebrate the completion of your thesis."

"You are?" Her eyes widen and, call him crazy, but is that hope in her eyes?

"Yeah, of course," He grins. "I am so, so ridiculously proud of you. I mean, I've always known you're a genius but now the world will, too. Or, at least, the world of Yale University."

Her lips are on his not seconds later. In between kisses, she says, "Thank you. I love you. I can't wait."

"I love you, too," He replies and betrays his better judgment as he allows himself to deepen the kiss further.

Reluctantly, she pulls away, reaches for her coffee and tugs on his hand. "Caterer?"

Frowning the tiniest bit, he agrees. "Caterer."

And they're off. They hold hands the entire way, linked over the gearshift, her engagement ring sparkling in the early afternoon sunlight. Once again, the caterer tries to sell them on salmon mousse and pigs in a blanket for their appetizers during cocktail hour and once again, they have to decline because they have no idea what salmon mousse is (it sounds supremely awful and much too fancy for their liking) and pigs in a blanket are for children at New Year's Eve parties, not adults at weddings (and, honestly, it's a little too informal; one extreme to the other). While Spencer begins to unpack a little later on, hanging the dress she'll wear to tomorrow night's rehearsal dinner on the closet door, Toby makes the drive to Philadelphia to retrieve his relatives, using the silence to take a moment to realize that they're here, they're finally here, and all those who'd thought they'd never make it past high school are about to proven so wrong. When Toby returns, he and Spencer head out to dinner and decide to walk there and back, because it's a beautiful spring evening, and they toast their upcoming nuptials and talk and laugh just like old times. On the way home, they run into Pam and Wayne Fields, who offer their congratulations this time in person and exclaim how excited they are for the wedding, and Andrew Campbell, who's exiting The Brew with a coffee in his hands and hugs Spencer and makes awkward eye contact with Toby (and maybe glances at the ring on Spencer's finger a little too long). Needless to say, it's been an interesting day and an even stranger, albeit wonderful, evening, and the second the door falls shut behind them, they resume their activities from earlier that afternoon.

He's still trying to calm his breathing after back to back rounds of zealous lovemaking when she props herself up on her elbow to ask, "How weird is it that Andrew still lives here?"

He glances at her, amused, and asks in return, "How weird is it that he's still kind of obsessed with you?"

She rolls her eyes and swats at him. "He is not."

"He definitely wishes he was the one to put a ring on it."

"Thank you, Beyoncé," Spencer chuckles and he laughs, too. "But he never would've had the chance, so who cares? I just think it's weird that he's still here. I always assumed he'd be one of those people who'd get out, make a career and a name for himself, and do all of that somewhere big, like L.A. or New York. It's so weird."

"I'm guessing you don't talk anymore," Toby says. "He seemed pretty surprised to see you."

"Yeah, I mean, we kept in touch for a while in undergrad, but then…" She trails off and shrugs. "The girls are the only ones I cared about keeping. Plus, each time I spoke with him, without fail, he'd ask if we were still together. And that was really fucking annoying."

"I mean," Toby shrugs, too. "You've got to give him credit. I can't blame him for trying. You're amazing; who wouldn't want to be with you?"

She smiles warmly and shakes her head. "Stop it."

"I'm serious," Toby insists. "You think I don't know how lucky I am? That's why I put a ring on it; had to lock that down."

She laughs and says, "Well believe me, I'm just as fortunate. Don't even think for a second that you're the only one lucking out, here."

He kisses her languidly, reaching over to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She pulls away first because they're smiling too wide to continue. "I can't believe we're going to be married in two days. Like… married."

"Tell me about it. It's surreal," He agrees. "Did you figure out where you're sleeping tomorrow night?"

"Aria's," Spencer sighs, rolling away from him as her back hits the mattress. "Which is awesome because she and Ezra are back on again so guess who I get to spend the night with?"

"Your former English teacher," Toby grimaces. "You know I think this is stupid and you should just stay here with me tomorrow, right?"

"I do, but… It's tradition," She insists. "We're supposed to spend the night before apart. And we can't see each other at all the day of. You know that; it's bad luck!"

"You and I have had plenty of bad luck and we've survived all of it," Toby points out and she frowns, silently agreeing.

"I don't want to risk it. It's too important to me."

"Okay," He lets it go. "Is she bringing Ezra to the wedding?"

Spencer shrugs. "I think so. I don't want him there, but I want Aria to be happy. And for some reason, he makes her happy… sometimes."

"God, I don't understand how he doesn't find this whole thing so weird," Toby shakes his head. "He's going to the wedding of one of his former students. That's not normal."

"No, what's not normal is that he's dating one of his former students, whom he also dated while she was his current student," Spencer shakes her head. "I love Aria to death; you know that. But she makes terrible decisions."

"Well, to be fair," Toby counters. "I can't say any of you made great decisions, back then."

"Hey, that's not true," Spencer disagrees. "I started dating you, didn't I?"

He grins but after a beat, remembers an unfinished conversation they'd had from the previous day. "Speaking of people we don't want at the wedding…"

Her face instantly dons an expression of concern, but she's the most intelligent person he knows, and it doesn't take long for her to catch on to his line of thinking. "What did your dad say? I forgot I wanted to grill you on this."

"No need," Toby says. "I'll tell you, I just didn't want to do it yesterday when you were already stressed over your thesis and graduation and the wedding and all that."

"Sometimes you're too selfless for your own good."

He can't argue with that. Inhaling a deep breath, he says, "I'm not sure my father and stepmother will be in attendance this weekend."

She's silent a moment before asking sharply, "What?"

"Apparently, my attempts to keep the truth from him until he'd arrived have failed," Toby says. "He and Heather are not so pleased that Jenna wasn't invited."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Spencer replies, shaking her head. "And they're going to take her side on this regardless of how you feel? Regardless of the fact that this is your wedding day? The happiest day of your life?"

He shrugs. "It appears that way."

Toby looks at her and can tell she's trying so hard to keep herself in check, because he knows her so well, he knows how much she hates speaking badly about his father because a lot of the time it hurts him more than his father's apathy ever could, but he also knows how fiercely protective she is of him, how she's always been, and he can see the struggle in her eyes before she asks, "Permission to explode?"

He chuckles, surprised she's even asked. "Permission granted."

"I'm so, so sorry Toby because he's your father and I know how much you love him regardless of how shitty he's been to you," Spencer begins. "But… It's times like these when I really, really hate him."

He's expected this and he simply nods. "I understand."

"I know he doesn't know what she did to you. I know he doesn't know how she made your life a living hell while you were still living at home. I know he doesn't know that she took advantage of you when you were emotionally vulnerable," Spencer begins, her chest heaving with anger. "But is that any fucking excuse? You are his only son. You are all he has left-"

"But I'm not," Toby interrupts, shrugging. "I'm not all he has left, because he has Heather and Jenna and he's always preferred them, anyway."

"But that's fucking bullshit," She says and he can see heartbreak in her eyes. "Because okay, yeah, maybe he has this shiny, brand-new family, but you don't. They'll never be family to you. He's your family. He's all you have left. And it isn't fair to you; it isn't fair that he can't wake up and see this and make an appearance at one of the biggest occasions of your life. I'm just disgusted. I can't take it anymore. I am so sick of him constantly treating you like this and constantly getting away with it without any repercussion or without knowing what it does to you every single time. I mean, Jesus Christ, you're his son. You're his only son and you're getting married and why the fuck would he take her side over yours? Why the fuck would her opinion even matter, here? Why the fuck does she take precedence over his own flesh and blood?"

Toby says nothing. He lets her get it all out, get it all off her chest, and a voice from deep inside him is shouting, Spencer's saying what you won't; this is what he needs to hear; why won't you say it, too? She scrubs a hand over her face and shakes her head, disappointed and heartbroken and empathetic. "I'm sorry. I don't hate him. I just… I hate that he makes you feel like this. I hate that he does this to you. Because this is supposed to be the best weekend of our lives and he's ruining it, now."

"No one could ever ruin this," Toby assures her, a hand on her shoulder. "Not even him."

Unfortunately, she's not placated. "What did he say? What exactly did he say?"

"He said… Heather called Jenna to ask if she'd gotten a dress for the wedding yet and if she wanted to carpool with them or stay with them or something," Toby says. "And she didn't even know we were engaged. She had no idea the wedding was happening and obviously she didn't, because we didn't invite her. And so then she got upset because she wasn't invited, which then turned into Heather getting upset because she wasn't invited, which then turned into my father getting upset because they were both upset that Jenna wasn't invited and… He basically said that he didn't understand how we could have a family event without family. And he asked me to let him know how it turned out."

Spencer's still fuming. "'Let him know how it turns out'? Like there's any chance of it going any other way!"

"I know, Spence."

"And family? You've got to be fucking kidding me, here," She exhales. "She's not your family. She has no right to be here. And I know he doesn't know what she did to you, but… God, Toby, maybe he should."

He looks her in the eye pointedly. "Now is not the time for that."

"No, I know it's not, but…" She shakes her head. "I don't know any other way that he's going to see your side of things. I understand why you've never told him and I'll understand if you still don't want to. But… He idolizes her and scrutinizes you. And it should be the opposite."

"Believe me, I know," Toby exhales heavily. "I guess we'll see if he shows up tomorrow. If it was all just hot air or if he really sticks to his guns and stays away."

"I'll probably strangle him on the spot," Spencer says. "So maybe it's best if he doesn't show up. I don't want to spend my wedding night in a maximum security prison."

He smiles, but it feels foreign somehow, and she must sense this, because she quickly backtracks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, I just… I want him to be here for you. I don't want him to miss it. But I also want him to stop being such a fucking prick for once so that everyone can enjoy themselves."

Toby frowns. "Spencer-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really done this time," She promises and asks, "Do you want to get some jabs in on my side? My dad's a prick, too."

Toby smirks and shakes his head. "No. Let's just… Stop talking about this and let the chips fall where they may tomorrow night."

"Okay," She replies uneasily and when she settles against him, he can feel the tension coiled tight within her. She's never been good at letting things go.

Then again, neither has he. It's something that both unites and divides them, somehow.

"Are you mad at me, now?" She then asks. "I went too far, didn't I?"

"Hey, we stopped talking about this, remember?" He says and pulls her closer, reaching for the quilt as goose bumps arise on both their bare forms. "And no, of course I'm not mad at you. When was the last time I was actually mad at you?"

"I don't know. But the next time will probably be when we're married and that's unfathomable to me," She says, grinning. "Unless I do something to piss you off within the next twenty-four hours, which, honestly, is entirely possible, given my track record."

"Oh stop it," He disagrees. "You are the love of my life, regardless of the fact that you're also a huge pain in the ass."

Spencer laughs wholeheartedly, her head thrown back in glee. "Ah, my wonderful fiancé has nothing but good things to say about me."

"You know it."

"And soon," She continues excitedly. "You'll be my wonderful husband."

And, not for the first time today, his heart skips a beat.

---

"I never knew I had to rehearse my meal before I ate it."

He can hear her chuckle from the other side of the closed bathroom door and he grins, knowing his jest had been successful. She's been a bundle of nerves since the moment they awoke this morning and he's been wracking his brain ever since in an attempt to calm her. She calls back, "You know that's not what it is. It's basically a glorified meet and greet."

"For who?" Toby wonders, fumbling with his tie. "The strangers we invited?"

"No," She replies. "Our families. I mean, you and I are tying the knot tomorrow but we're also kind of uniting both our families together for life. So it'll be good for everyone to meet and get to know one another, right?"

"Sure," He replies sarcastically. "It's not like they have a three-hour wedding reception to do that at, or anything."

"I think it's actually going to be kind of fun," Spencer says. "I mean, the wedding rehearsal went well this morning and so we'll just kind of eat, drink and be merry. Isn't that how it goes?"

"We'll see," Toby sighs. "Should we take bets on whether or not my parents show up? Technically, this is supposed to be their doing; the financial part of the rehearsal dinner, you know."

"I know," Spencer says. "But it wasn't that bad for us to handle; we made it work. And that way, we got what we wanted out of it instead of what your parents might want."

"Yeah."

"And I'm sure they'll show up. I really don't believe they'll stiff you."

"I wish I shared your optimism."

"Toby," She whines. "You can't lose faith, here. Who's going to remind me to keep my head up?"

"Keep your head up," He repeats. "Someone has to. Mine won't be."

The door clicks out of place and she pokes her head out, staring him down. "It's our wedding."

"It's our rehearsal dinner."

"Right. For our wedding," She says. "I refuse to believe he isn't coming. In fact, I refuse to let him not come. So if he doesn't show up tonight or tomorrow, I'm driving there in full gown and hair and makeup and dragging him here by his pinky toe. Don't mess with me."

"Honestly, I believe you'd do that."

"I will," Spencer says and ducks back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. "I haven't been a bridezilla at all, but I have the feeling that he could push me there."

"I don't know if I agree with that," Toby says. "I mean, you weren't Hanna about this whole thing, but I wouldn't exactly call you calm and rational, either."

He hears her motions still and she replies, "Are you referencing the Christmas Eve incident?"

"No, I was thinking about a few months ago when we wanted to talk to your parents about scaling it back and you exploded instead of keeping it cool like you promised," Toby says and then falters. "What's the Christmas Eve incident?"

"Oh yeah, my explosion," She resumes her activities and he hears the sound of running water. "That's what I meant."

"No you didn't," He shakes his head. "What's the Christmas Eve incident?"

She heaves a sigh. "I definitely didn't almost disown my sister and she definitely didn't threaten me with physical violence if I didn't take her advice on a color scheme and I definitely didn't decide right there, to her face, that she would never be my maid of honor. And she definitely didn't throw my parents' crystal vase at my head and I didn't duck so it made a hole in the dining room wall."

Toby's eyes are wide. "I don't remember any of that."

"You worked late, remember?" She reminds him. "You missed it."

"Oh yeah," He recalls, nodding. "Your mother seemed so frazzled and you looked wild but no one would tell me what was going on and then your father pushed a drink into my hands."

"Yep. It always comes to physical blows with my sister. She'll never grow up."

"I never understood why he gave me alcohol and this awful warning look," Toby says. "But I guess I get it, now. He's like, 'Good luck' and I just kind of stared at him. Good luck with what? You've never thrown anything at me."

"Yet."

Toby smirks. "Are you ready yet? We need to be there in ten minutes."

"So? We can't be fashionably late?"

"To our own wedding rehearsal dinner?" Toby chuckles. "That would be awful, wouldn't it?"

She opens the door and steps into their bedroom and all of his thoughts die upon his lips. "Wow."

Squirming a little, she adjusts the hemline, toys with her necklace, sweeps hair off of her neck. "Oh come on, you can't act like you're that surprised every time I dress up."

"That's not it," He shakes his head, standing and coming closer. "You don't have to dress up to impress me. You don't have to dress at all to impress me."

A blush rises on her cheeks and she ducks her head, hiding her grin. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"You're beautiful. You're always beautiful," He professes next, lifting her chin to meet her eyes. "But I just realized… Tonight's the last night you'll knock it out of the park like that as my fiancée. Tomorrow… You'll be my wife."

Her eyes alight with glee and she attaches their lips at once. She pulls back after a moment to tell him, "I'm going to need another minute, now, to fix the make up you're smudging."

Toby shrugs and pulls her back in. "Eh, so we're a few minutes late. It's fashionable."

When they do manage to pry themselves from one another, they head out into the early evening, watching the sun set across the horizon as they drive towards the swankiest hotel in town, the grand ballroom of which would be serving as their rehearsal dinner's space that night. It's just their immediate families and the bridal party in attendance and many of their guests are already there, sipping cocktails and munching on hors d'oeuvres as the meet and greet portion of the dinner gets into full swing. He and Spencer had been unceremoniously wrenched apart the moment they'd stepped in the door; Peter Hastings, for some reason, suddenly had a thousand and one questions for his future son-in-law and Emily, Spencer's chosen maid of honor (the girls had decided, in fairness, to rotate, much like Phoebe, Monica and Rachel in Friends), had pulled the bride aside and they'd been whispering furiously to one another ever since. Toby keeps a keen eye on her, making sure to watch for any signs of drama (he really wants to keep this night one free of her anxiety attacks) while also trying to pay his full attention to Peter. Multitasking has never been his strong suit.

After a moment, Emily and Spencer whisk past him, and quickly, he catches her elbow to ask, "Everything okay?"

"Fine. Everything's fine," Spencer shakes her head. "I need to go light a fire under the caterer."

"It's almost eight," Emily says, checking her watch. She's been a dutiful maid of honor and her calm nature has helped keep Spencer calm… most of the time. "And we have to be out of here by nine. Dinner should have been served by now."

She hurries off towards the swinging white doors at the back of the ballroom, calling over her shoulder, "Mingle with your guests, Spencer. I've got this."

Spencer heaves a sigh and Peter grumbles something about getting another drink and takes off towards the sommelier, never able to keep up if things get emotional. She keeps her voice low when she comments, "We're missing a few guests, anyway. It's been an hour; I never thought they actually wouldn't show."

"Never say never," Toby says and nods towards the main door as it opens and welcomes two new figures through.

Spencer glances over her shoulder and Toby can see the tension build within her body at the sight of his parents. She says nothing for a while and, honestly, he's kind of glad. They can suffer in silence together. Both Daniel and Heather stick like wallflowers by the door for a moment, as if they're expecting some sort of special greeting, and his eyes narrow slightly; they won't be getting one. This isn't about them. In a moment, Spencer glances back at him to gauge his reaction and he merely shrugs. He's glad his father is here, honestly. He's glad his father was able to realize how important of an occasion this is for him. But he also hasn't spoken to him yet. And before he can, Melissa comes over, toddler Vivian perched on one hip like an accessory, and is instantly looking for answers from her younger sister.

"Spencer, you didn't send me an advanced copy of your menu," She rolls her eyes. "I've got Vivian on a strict diet, you know."

"I know," Spencer drones, her eyes not leaving Toby's parents as they finally unstick themselves from the wall and begin to step closer to them. "You're almost as bad as Kourtney Kardashian."

"That's not funny," Melissa shakes her head. "I want her palate to be free of the dangers of high fructose corn syrup and red dye number 40. There's a real obesity epidemic here and I won't be contributing to that."

"How could you? She barely eats."

"She eats plenty, thank you," Melissa frowns. "I need to speak to the chef to make sure her meal is made with only organic, free-range ingredients and I need to do so before we sit down because if he doesn't have the certain foods I'm requesting then I'll have-"

"Jesus, Melissa. Can we not… Can we not do this right now?" Spencer says and seems to shoot another pointed look in his direction.

"Oh," Melissa exclaims as though she's just realized the whole situation isn't about her. "Are those your parents, Toby?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. I've never met them," Melissa says. "What are they like?"

"They're… something," Toby finishes lamely and again, Spencer searches his eyes, but for what, he can't be sure. "Go take care of Viv. It's okay. I've got them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," He nods genuinely. "It's alright."

Reluctantly, she steps away from him and leads Melissa and her niece away from the scene as Daniel and Heather approach Toby, their faces deceptively neutral. Heather says nothing; likely, she's still furious that her stepson and his bride-to-be had declined to invite her daughter to their upcoming nuptials. Daniel, however, nods curtly in greeting. "Toby."

"Hi Dad," Toby says, trying to keep his voice even. He wonders if there will ever be a day when his father doesn't intimidate him. "Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for inviting us," He replies. "I wasn't sure you'd want us here."

Toby blinks. He's not really sure what to say anymore. "Well… You're my family. Isn't that what this is all about?"

Heather scoffs the moment he says 'family'. Daniel shoots her a look and then says, "We're supposed to take care of this, aren't we? The rehearsal dinner?"

"Well," Toby shrugs. "Technically, I guess so, yeah. The bride's family gets the wedding and the groom's gets the rehearsal dinner and reception. But-"

"You never said anything," Daniel interrupts. "You didn't have us spend a dime."

"It's fine," Toby shakes his head. "I had the money saved, anyway, and Spencer helped and we-"

"Is Peter Hastings footing the bill for this wedding tomorrow?" Daniel then asks, saying the other man's name as though it were filthy and vile.

"Well, yeah, but that's just tradition and-"

"So what does that make us? Freeloaders?" Daniel exclaims and this is not a conversation Toby had ever expected having. "We have money too, Toby, and we easily could have contributed."

"I know. Look, it's not like we ever asked Peter to," Toby explains. "He just assumed from the beginning he was and we never wanted to insult him by asking him not to-"

"So you just decided to insult me, instead?" Daniel shakes his head and Toby glances between his two parents, incredulous and at a loss for words.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Emily announces, clinking a fork against her flute of champagne. "Please take your seats! Dinner will be served momentarily!"

Toby turns away from his father because he honestly doesn't think he can stand being in his presence for another moment. Spencer's words from the night prior begin to echo in his ears; I want him to stop being such a fucking prick for once. He chuckles at the memory and finds himself agreeing. She takes her seat beside him and shoots him a questioning glance, one he returns with a small smile and shake of the head. Later. For now, they are to enjoy a fancy three-course meal and some idle chatter in the company of their family and closest friends. Halfway through dessert, Spencer nudges him and asks, "You've been so quiet. Will you please just talk to me?"

"Of course," He says. "But I don't know what you want me to say."

"I'm dying over here," She frowns. "What did he say? What's going on? How much money did he offer you to walk away from me tonight and never look back?"

He smirks and says, "Actually, it's funny you should mention money…"

Spencer's eyes widen and he can see legitimate panic begin to creep onto her features. "Wait… Wait, what?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that. God," He shakes his head. "He's offended that we didn't ask him to pay for anything. You know, because your dad's got the wedding and, I don't know, I guess he wanted the reception or at least the rehearsal dinner."

"What… What?" Spencer exclaims. "That's some bullshit. If we had asked, he would've laughed in our faces."

"I know that. You know that," Toby says. "But I don't think he realizes that."

She rolls her eyes. "Is that why he's stewing over his chocolate mousse over there and glaring at my father like he's ready to commit a murder?"

"Probably."

Again, Emily clinks her fork against her glass and the room falls silent. "Hi everyone! As the night draws to a close, I just want to thank everyone for coming. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Emily Fields and I'm Spencer's maid of honor."

"Go Emily!" Hanna shrieks and elicits a few chuckles from the bridal party. Aria smirks, shakes her head, and removes the alcohol from her friend's grasp.

"You'll get to hear my full speech tomorrow at the wedding reception, so I won't go into too much detail, but I couldn't let the night go without toasting them at least once," Emily grins. "So I'd like you all to join me in raising a glass to the very couple we are all here to celebrate- Spencer and Toby."

Everyone joins in, their glasses high, and Emily says, "There is truly nothing more special than watching love blossom between your two best friends and I am so incredibly lucky that I got to witness it. They are impeccably in tune with one another- they always have been- and they have a connection that I can't even understand, let alone describe. Of course, they've been through more hell than any couple ever should, but all of the struggles they've endured have done nothing but make them stronger. I know that they have a long and happy life ahead of them together and that is exactly what they deserve. So, here's to Toby and Spencer on the eve of their wedding- may the many days before you be just as blissful as those you've already shared."

A chorus of agreement rings through the room as their guests applaud Emily's words and take identical sips of their drinks, in accord. Toby's heart does a somersault; he, of course, knows how he views his own relationship with Spencer, but it always amazes him to hear how others view it as well. Spencer embraces Emily in a tight hug of gratitude and the moment remains positive until Peter Hastings stands, his own glass raised, and maybe Toby's been spending too much time with Spencer, maybe he's adopted her way of thinking, but he's sure nothing good can come of this. He chances a glance at his own father and Daniel's glare is icy. Powerless to stop it, Toby can only watch the drama unfold.

Peter clears his throat and the room once more falls quiet. "Thank you, Emily, for those kind words. I, actually, would like to say a few words myself."

Beside him, Toby notes that the easy smile slips off of Spencer's face. Blindly, he reaches for her hand and gives it a squeeze. Peter says, "The first conversation I ever had with Toby was when he'd come to our house early one morning to speak with my daughter and I, ever so charmingly, told him to go away."

A few chuckles ring through the room and Peter grins. "I know what you're thinking- of course you did. You're her father, right? And you wouldn't be wrong. In fact, no man is ever good enough for your little girl, and regardless of the fact that Spencer was then seventeen, she will remain my little girl until the day I die."

Toby feels the hand in his begin to shake a little and he grips hers a little more firmly. Peter continues, "But that, of course, isn't why I'd told him he wasn't welcome. I'm sure you all know that his reputation had preceded him at that point and I, being the obstinate man my wife has always referred to me as, had believed every word of it."

"Peter," Veronica chastises, glancing at her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law, who did not seem to be enjoying his speech.

"Right, the point," Peter shakes his head. "The point is, when Spencer and Toby started dating way back when, I certainly hadn't ever been their biggest supporters. And now, looking back on it, I can't imagine why anyone would be against them. So… I wanted to raise a glass to you, Toby, for taking such amazing care of my daughter, for always being there for her, for throwing yourself willingly into the pack of lions also known as the Hastings family because you love her so much. I want to apologize for my disapproval in the beginning and I want you to know, from here on out, you have my blessing."

Toby smiles and feels Spencer relax just a bit beside him. "Thank you."

"I want to raise a glass to you too, Spencer," Peter addresses his daughter next. "For becoming your own person, for accomplishing all you've wanted so far and- I never thought I'd say this- for ignoring us when we advised you against continuing your relationship with Toby. You saw something in him we didn't at first and that shows so much growth and maturity; something you didn't learn from us. I'm so glad you found someone to love and cherish and someone who loves and cherishes you and I'm immensely proud of you. You'll always be my little girl, Spencer, but if this is the woman you've become, I think I can definitely live with that."

There's amazement in her eyes at her father's words. "Thanks, Dad."

"And, finally," Peter concludes, turning his attention towards Toby's parents. "I want to raise a glass to you as well. I don't know either of you very well, but our families will be, come tomorrow, joined for life and therefore, that makes us family, too. So I wanted to extend a welcome to the newest members of our family and hope that we, too, can find a common ground, a sort of happiness, just as our son and daughter have. To Toby, to Spencer and to family."

"To Toby, to Spencer, and to family," The others agree and applause is soon to follow. Veronica turns to praise her husband and Spencer's still smiling, pleasantly surprised. Toby, however, cannot seem to take his eyes off of his father. Daniel's mouth is in firm line; not to be one-upped, he's standing, too, not a second later. Instinctively, Toby holds his breath.

"Well, that was certainly something, Peter. I'm not quite sure how to follow that."

Peter's eyes are still light, still warm with levity, and he waves this off. "You don't have to."

"No, at least let me contribute something, since you've taken care of everything else," Daniel replies coolly. "I appreciate your gesture, although it would've been nice to have at least some say in the way things turned out here. We weren't approached for our opinion, nor were we even asked to make a monetary contribution towards this occasion."

"Please," Peter scoffs, chuckling slightly. "You think this is going the way I wanted? It's all about compromise, Daniel; I got the club and Spencer got everything else."

Spencer starts beside him and Toby shoots her a look. Don't. Not now. Daniel frowns and says, "I just didn't want you to get the idea that we refused to contribute. Or that we can't. We would have- could have- if they'd asked."

"I'm not saying you wouldn't. Or couldn't."

A couple people snicker and Daniel's eyes grow icy. "Do you think you're some sort of hero here, Peter? You hated my son for years, believed the nasty rumors this town spread, and now can make amends by providing them with the wedding of their dreams? Swooping in with your wallet to save the day and save your name?"

"Listen, everyone believed those rumors spread; it wasn't just me. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but let's not single anyone out here," Peter shoots back. "The point is, I was wrong and I'm admitting I was wrong. I've apologized to Toby and he's accepted, so why is this an issue with you? You being bent out of shape has nothing to do with my wallet."

The rest of the room goes silent. Spencer's pale beside him and Toby's heart is pounding wildly against his ribcage. This is the exact situation they had always feared. Daniel shakes his head. "It's an issue with me because the last thing I need is this phony man advertising becoming a brand new family when in reality, he's going to spend the rest of his days wondering if there's someone better out there for his daughter. Why would you think I want my son to become a part of that?"

"Look, I think of Toby as my own son, Daniel," Peter retorts and this is, honestly, news to Toby. He glances at Spencer to gauge her reaction, but she's still white as a sheet, her eyes wide. "Maybe you don't understand because you've never had a daughter-"

Heather scoffs audibly beside her husband, but everyone ignores it. Peter continues, undeterred. "- but it's not an easy thing, seeing her with a guy. It wasn't easy with Melissa, it wasn't easy with Spencer. But you get over it. You move on. If they're happy… you welcome this guy in with open arms. And it's their wedding, so I think we should try and mend fences, here, and leave the past in the past."

"And why should I do that? I don't need a pompous asshole telling me-"

"Dad!" Toby shouts amidst gasps from the crowd.

"Toby, stay out of this," Daniel shakes his head. "This doesn't concern you."

"I'm not sure we really need you calling the shots either," Peter replies, his face beginning to redden. "If you're going to be a jackass about it."

"Dad, please, stop," Spencer pleads, suddenly able to find her voice.

Peter shakes her off. "Spencer, not now."

"Oh, I'm the jackass?" Daniel smiles although there is no mirth in it. "So I'm the one with the bastard offspring? The two children of the same age but from different mothers?"

"Dad, that was completely uncalled for-"

"No," Peter replies, barely ruffled. "You're the one who went and married into a brand new family before your first wife was even cold."

"Dad! Why the hell are you bringing that up?"

"You know, I knew there was a reason I advised him against this," Daniel shakes his head, pushing his chair back and standing, Heather following suit in dutiful accord. "Your family is nothing but a bunch of petty, arrogant, drama-seeking lunatics and the last thing I would ever support is my son's induction into it. Toby, I will never understand why this is the life you chose for yourself and I hate the person you've become; they person they've turned you into."

With that, they storm out of the ballroom, the door slamming shut behind them. For a moment, no one speaks. And then, Peter chuckles and says, "Well. That was something. More champagne, everyone?"

"Okay, thank you all for coming," Emily announces lamely as patrons begin to stand and gather their things, the night coming to an awkward end. "We'll see you all at the church tomorrow at noon, reception to follow."

"Dad, you ruined everything," Spencer shrieks and Peter immediately looks bewildered.

"Me? He's the one ranting and raving like a harebrained psychopath," Peter shakes his head. To Toby, he says, "I can't blame you for wanting out of that."

"Dad!"

"Peter," Veronica chastises. "Honestly, get ahold of yourself."

And, with their bickering behind him, Toby stands and heads out of the ballroom also, in search of his father. He doesn't find them outside the door, in the lobby of the hotel, or on the pavement outside. They're just climbing into his father's car and Toby has to jog to catch up with them, a hand on the driver's door to stop them from leaving. Daniel harrumphs, "What?"

"Dad…" Toby trails off because even now, after all of that, he's at a loss for words. "I never knew you felt that way about them. About all of them."

"Yeah, well, I may have gotten a little carried away, but they deserved it," Daniel shakes his head. "They're a bunch of snobs, the whole lot of them. They think they're better than everyone else but what they don't understand is that Rosewood is a small town and we all know each other's business, here. And-"

"Dad, I don't give a shit what you think about the Hastings'," Toby cuts him off. "That's your opinion. Do what you want with it."

Daniel's anger seems to fade and he says, "Oh. Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is what you think of Spencer," Toby says. "And what you think of me because I'm marrying her."

Daniel shrugs. "She's a Hastings, too."

"Yeah, today," Toby replies. "But tomorrow, she'll be one of us. And I need you to come to terms with that. I need you to accept that she is the woman I'm marrying. She is the woman I love. And you treating her like shit is not okay with me. It's not acceptable. She'll pretend it doesn't bother her or doesn't get to her, but it does. You're going to be her family, too. And you need to realize that."

"I have never treated her like shit," Daniel disagrees and Toby rolls his eyes.

"Because you've never spoken to her a day in your life," Toby says. "And do you think cussing out and calling her family all kinds of names is something she likes to hear? Would you like that?"

He says nothing. Toby sighs and says, "I know you're disappointed in me. I know you don't approve of what I'm doing with my life. But-"

"I always expected… Well, I don't know what I expected," Daniel shakes his head. "But it wasn't this. It was never this. And if you really want this, then… Do it. But you'll have to make some changes, too, if you think you're going to stay like this. If you think you can keep her."

"What the hell does that mean?" Toby exclaims. "I resent the phrase, but I've done a pretty good job of 'keeping her' for six years."

Daniel frowns and says, "Tell her I'm sorry for exploding. Apologize to her parents for me."

"Tell her yourself," Toby disagrees. "You're coming to the wedding tomorrow, aren't you?"

Daniel's silent for a long, long time and Toby's heart pounds loudly in his ears the entire time. "Yes."

He steps back and allows the car door to swing shut between them, watching as his father and stepmother drive away into the blackened night. He feels much like he had as a child, when he'd scratched his father's car with his bike and had gotten reamed out for it, despite being only seven years old. He'd bawled, terrified, in his mother's arms afterwards and he can still hear her soothing voice, every single word she'd said, to this day: It isn't you Daddy's mad at, Toby. He's mad at himself. He let his anger out again and this time, it found you. She always had a way of making his father seem guilty for what he'd done; which he was, horribly so, in fact. But Daniel had never apologized; not once. And now, as an adult, Toby has a hard time seeing what had brought his parents together. They were like fire and ice, polar opposites, and perhaps the old saying was true in that opposites attract, but Toby simply didn't believe it.

When he finds his way back into the lobby, Spencer's there, waiting. There are so many emotions on her face but she doesn't take even a second to acknowledge them. Instead, she steps closer and walks into his awaiting arms, both of them needing the solace that this simple gesture provides. And, in complete unison, they both profess, "I'm so sorry about my dad."

"Yours? But mine was so much worse than-"

"No, no, mine said all those nasty things and then-"

"He can't just get away with that all the time and he should-"

"Spencer," Toby shakes his head, smiling despite the situation. "Can we just agree to disagree?"

She smiles, too. "Sure."

"You were right last night, you know," Toby tells her. "They're both pricks."

He feels her body shake with laughter and she pulls away to ask, "Did you catch him?"

"Yeah," He nods. "He asked me to apologize on his behalf. I told him to do it himself."

"Is he coming tomorrow?"

"He says he is."

Spencer frowns a bit, saying, "I always knew he hated me."

"Spencer, he doesn't-"

"He does, though. He does," Spencer shakes her head. "It's fine, it's just… It sucks, you know? I mean, we finally got my parents to come around and I don't know. I guess I just thought… When he saw us, when he saw how happy we are… I don't know. Maybe it's stupid to think he'd realize he was wrong about us."

"It's not stupid," Toby says. "He should have realized this. Never would I have ever thought that your parents would be easier to impress than mine."

He's said this in an attempt to make her smile, but it just seems to make her even unhappier. "I don't know what to do about it. I don't… I'm not good at getting people to like me."

"That's not true," Toby disagrees. "I found it very easy to like you."

"Okay, but that doesn't count."

"Are you kidding? It so does," Toby shakes his head. "How could I not like you? You're beautiful and brilliant and resilient and loyal and fiercely independent and incredibly strong, both physically and mentally, and you've overcome so much in your life and you've accomplished more than most twenty-four-year-olds and you swear like a trucker which I, personally, find pretty adorable and-"

"Okay, okay," Spencer interrupts, grinning. "Are you going to go on and on all night?"

"Do you want me to?" Toby shrugs. "Because I could. Honestly. There is not enough time in the year for me to list all the reasons I love you."

She pulls him in for a kiss and then cuddles into him once more, his arms wrapping protectively around her. "We'll work on him. I'll work on him. I promise."

"How?"

"I don't know yet," Toby says as the ballroom doors open again and their guests begin to filter out. "But you taught me that I can do anything if I try hard enough and believe in myself. So, that's what I'm going to do."

"Toby!" Peter calls and reluctantly, the lovers release their hold on one another. "Hey, I'm sorry about before. I definitely got too riled up and when I brought up your mother… That was completely uncalled for. And for that, I'm profoundly sorry."

Toby says, "It's okay."

"It's not," Peter disagrees. "I apologize. Truly, I do."

Toby nods. "Thank you."

From beside the elder Hastings, Veronica nods too, seemingly satisfied with his apology, and the two each take their turn embracing their daughter, bidding her goodnight before exiting the hotel. The three girls follow next, hesitant to approach their friends, and Aria says, breaking the ice, "So… Some dinner, huh?"

"Well, you know," Spencer says nonchalantly. "Wouldn't be a Hastings-Cavanaugh wedding without a healthy dose of drama."

"A healthy dose?" Hanna exclaims. "Alright, then you've had your fill for the next month, at least."

Emily grins. "Seriously. That was crazy. Is it always like that?"

"It's the first time they've all actually been in the same room together," Toby confirms. "And now we know it was with good reason."

They share a chuckle and Aria nods towards the door. "You ready to go, Spence?"

"Yeah, just, give me a second?" She pleads with them and they nod, backing towards the door to give the couple their privacy. Turning to Toby, Spencer suddenly grows oddly quiet and she smiles shyly at him when she says, "I guess this is goodbye, then."

"Yeah," Toby nods, taking her hands in his. "Next time I see you, we'll both be at the altar."

She inhales a deep breath, her smile widening. "This is crazy. I can't believe we're actually here."

"Me either," Toby agrees. "All that stress, all that planning… And we're finally here. This is the last night you'll be my fiancée. Tomorrow night-"

"I'll be your wife," Spencer says and as usual, his heart flips over and over. "You'll be my husband."

"We're getting married," Toby shakes his head. "Tomorrow. This is all so crazy."

"Spencer!" Aria calls again, nodding towards the door. "Come on!"

"I'm coming!" She shouts back and turns to press her lips against Toby's. "I love you. I love you so much and I can't wait until tomorrow."

"I love you too and believe me, neither can I," He grins and kisses her again. "I'll text you later. Can I do that? Is that against the rules?"

"I think it's okay," Spencer chuckles. "But no FaceTime. That counts as seeing each other."

"Okay," Toby says. "These rules seem made up, but I can play along."

"Oh my god," Hanna groans impatiently. "You're literally going to see each other tomorrow. Let's go!"

"Okay, okay!" Spencer shakes her head and kisses Toby chastely one last time. "I love you. Text me."

"I will," He agrees. "I love you too."

Toby watches her go, a nostalgic smile coming over his face, because he simply cannot fathom how supremely blessed he is to have her, and to have had her, for as long as he has.

And tomorrow begins the first day of the rest of their lives together. He simply cannot wait for the beautiful unknown.

---

Spencer wakes up sharply at six a.m., a little abrupt, a little disoriented, to the sound of thunder crashing in the early morning sky, rain pelting against the windows, and Aria and Hanna shrieking back and forth.

"This cannot be happening! This cannot be happening!"

"There are worse things, Han, come on we can-"

"What could be worse? Do you see what it's doing out there? Fucking pouring! And what does rain do to the ground? It makes it muddy! And what color is Spencer's dress? Fucking white!"

"Calm down! It's not that big of a deal! I mean, it's not what we want, but we can still-"

"Not what we want? Her wedding is outside!"

"I don't think it will be, anymore."

"Guys, shut up," A new voice, Emily's frazzled one, cuts in. "You're going to wake her up. She doesn't need to be up for another half hour."

"Yeah, and a lot could happen in a half hour, Han. The rain could clear up."

"Do you see those clouds? That shit is not clearing up."

"Okay, well I have a massive list of things I need to do and you screaming about it isn't helping me! I need to get into contact with the florist and with the venue so that we can make this outdoor wedding indoors and I need to steam the bridesmaid dresses and hair and makeup will be here in an hour but I'm wondering if it makes more sense to just meet them there-"

"Yeah, it does, because the second we step outside, everything's going to be undone."

"This isn't fair. This isn't fucking fair. Why can't we have nice things? Oh, that's right, because we're in fucking Rosewood."

"Will you shut the fuck up? Seriously, stop bitching and help us get things in order."

At this, Spencer grins and climbs out of bed. Her three best friends; honestly, she doesn't know what she'd do without them. When she opens the bedroom door, all three of them stop what they're doing to glance in her direction, looks of guilt and sympathy on their faces. Aria shoots Hanna a glare and says, "I told you that you were going to wake her up."

"No, it's okay," Spencer shakes her head. "It was more the thunder than anything else."

"I'm so sorry, Spencer." Emily laments. "There was nothing in the forecast that suggested it was going to rain today."

"It's alright. What are you going to do?" She shrugs. "So the weather isn't perfect. So what? We'll move it from the courtyard to the grand ballroom. It'll be… cozier."

Aria's eyes widen in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"Wow," Emily nods. "Okay, well, I have a couple calls to make, then."

"What's up?"

"No, we just all expected you to freak out," She shrugs and nods towards the blonde. "Like she did."

"I'm sorry!" Hanna exclaims. "God forbid I should want my best friend to have the perfect wedding."

"It's alright," Spencer says. "It'll still be perfect."

They spend the rest of the early morning calling all of their vendors to be sure they know of the brand new change. Emily leaves before the other girls to get to the country club and make sure that all of the décor they were planning on setting up in the courtyard gets, instead, moved to the grand ballroom and, of course, she oversees all of it to be sure it's done correctly and up to Spencer's highest regard. By nine thirty, the entire bridal party is crammed into the tight space of one of the back rooms of the church, an old storage room for Sunday school supplies, and their hair and makeup stylists and photographers alike begin to mutter complaints under their breath about the lack of space. It certainly isn't how any of them had planned this morning to go, but due to the terrible weather conditions, they had to make do.

Spencer's phone buzzes in her lap a moment later and, unable to text back with wet nails, she merely grins in response. "It's Toby. He says he and the groomsmen are here."

"It must be so nice to be a guy," Aria comments, wincing as a stylist jams yet another hairpin into her scalp. "Just wake up, throw on a tuxedo and you're good to go."

"Yeah, but this is fun," Hanna says. "Don't tell me you're not enjoying yourself."

"I am, it's just… It seems like a lot of fanfare."

"Well, we want to look our best," Emily says. "Come on, Spencer's only going to do this once."

"You can say that again," Spencer chuckles.

"I know that this was an issue from day one," Hanna says next. "And that you really had to compromise with your parents on this, but if you had taken my advice and gotten married somewhere warm or tropical-"

"Like you?" Spencer teases. "Three years later and I've still not gotten over that sunburn."

"You are so dramatic," Hanna rolls her eyes and Spencer scoffs.

"Hello, kettle? This is pot. You're black."

She reaches out to swat her and then, seeming to remember her nails, thinks against it. "I'm just saying. Despite the drama between my mother and father that weekend, it was pretty incredible. And, because it was destination, we only had whom we wanted there. Unlike you."

"Hey," Spencer warns. "We have a hundred and fifty people. That's nothing. The original guest list was at least five hundred."

"Yeah," Aria chimes in. "And she and Toby certainly have plenty of drama on their own."

"Yeah, what was up with Toby's dad last night?" Emily asks next. "He was so pissed."

"Well, I'm assuming it had something to do with us not inviting Jenna," Spencer says. "But honestly, it probably started way back when, when we started dating. He's never been a fan of us and I don't think he's going to start today."

"He seriously expected you to invite Jenna? His son's rapist?" Hanna asks, her voice low. "That man's got a lot of nerve."

"He doesn't know about any of that," Spencer replies. "Toby's never felt comfortable telling him."

"Still. She's a monster."

"You're telling me."

"Hey," Emily notices suddenly, glancing around the room. "Alison didn't show."

The other girls stare at her and Aria says, "So?"

"So," Emily shrugs. "I expected she would."

"Please," Hanna waves this off. "Alison does what Alison wants. We can't go by her. Plus, Spencer only extended an invite to be polite. Didn't you?"

"Yeah. Sorry Em, I just…" Spencer trails off. "I don't totally want her here. But I didn't want to suffer her wrath if she wasn't invited at all."

Emily purses her lips. "Well that makes sense. And there's still the ceremony and the reception. Maybe she'll turn up."

"Yeah, I guess. Maybe."

It's just after eleven when Melissa and Veronica burst into the room, their hair and makeup neatly done, exclaiming, "Less than an hour now! Are you ready?"

Spencer's just finished swiping a mascara brush across her lashes- the stylist had done a slipshod job, after all- when she nods. "Yeah. I think so."

Melissa cocks her head to the side, frowning. "You're getting married in that?"

Spencer glances down and realizes she has less than hour until she walks down the aisle and she's still wearing her t-shirt and pajama pants. "Well… No."

"Well, let's go! Let's get that dress on!"

Very, very carefully, Spencer stretches the neck of her t-shirt up and over her brand new hairstyle, wary to even slightly nudge it despite the fact that the stylist, earlier, had emptied an entire can of hairspray onto her scalp. Surely, it isn't going anywhere. She slips out of her lounge pants, too, and into wedding lingerie, Hanna grinning at her the whole time- she'd picked it out. The garter slides easily over her thigh and then the dress comes next, form-fitting around the middle and a bit looser in the skirt, beading and crystals on the bodice, lace up the back. Taking Hanna's advice, she'd gone strapless, and she's glad she had, because this dress is too perfect for words. When she steps back out into full view of her bridesmaids, mother and sister, everyone is in awe of her beauty. It makes her feel strangely self-conscious and she wishes everyone would stop staring. It's beginning to make her feel incredibly nervous.

Veronica affixes the veil to her crown and allows it to cascade down her back. Twenty minutes or so, now, until show time. She kisses her cheek in farewell, saying, "You look absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to see you out there. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," Spencer manages to utter over her furiously beating heart.

"Spencer!" Melissa shrieks next in an over the top manner. She embraces her sister quickly before following their mother out of the room. "You look so incredible I can hardly stand it."

"Thanks, Melissa."

And soon, as everyone begins to take their places, it's only the four of them left behind. Aria asks, "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Spencer admits. "I don't know why."

"It's normal," Hanna tells her. "Remember me? I was a wreck."

"I thought you were going to have a heart attack, honestly," Emily agrees. "You were a mess."

"But this is it," Aria grins. "Are you excited, too, at least?"

"Of course," Spencer nods, smiling. "This is going to be the best day of my life."

They all nod their agreement, collect her in a group hug and then step out of the room, too. Spencer's left alone with her thoughts for only a moment and she already feels like she's going to pass out. Somewhere, from wherever he is, he must sense this, because her phone jingles to life on the table before her; there's a text reading: I love you. I'll see you out there.

Suddenly, all is right with the world. She feels her anxiety and her stress begin to fade away and a nervous sort of excitement takes their place instead. She doesn't have the time to text back before there's a knock on her door and her father pokes his head in. "Spence? Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Spencer nods confidently. "Yeah, I'm ready."

He smiles at her, eyes creasing at the edges. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you, Dad," Spencer exhales. "Should we go?"

Peter offers her his arm, saying, "Ready when you are."

They step out of the room, the music crescendos, and Spencer's inhaling deep breaths, trying to ignore how the hand on her father's arm is shaking. The other is clasped tightly around her bouquet of tulips (they'd ordered calla lilies and Emily had nearly torn the florist's head off as she unveiled the wrong flowers) and she mentally prepares herself for the sight before her as they round the corner. Petals adorn the red-carpeted aisle, patrons on either side standing happily from their pews, and the church has been magnificently transformed into a whimsical room of happiness and light. As they edge closer to the altar, Spencer spots her mother already wiping tears from her eyes, her sister and bridesmaids on one side, the groomsmen on the other and, from the very front pew on the right side, Toby's parents, standing with polite smiles on both their faces. This does nothing but fuel a bit of dread into her veins, which mixes sinfully with all the other emotions she's feeling; surprise, excitement, apprehension, anticipation, and about a million other things, all at once.

Until she finally spots Toby, meets his eyes, and can process only one- bliss. Pure, unadulterated bliss.

Peter kisses her cheek and lets her go and Spencer comes to stand right in front of her husband-to-be, joining hands with his. The anxiety, the nerves, the stress- they all ebb away. For he is looking back at her with the widest grin she's ever seen, with so much love in his eyes, and she knows everything's going to be all right. After all, with him, it always is.

Pastor Ted is officiating and he grins at both of them before he begins. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Marriage is a special thing; in fact, it takes a great amount of love and a great amount of respect for a couple to reach the point where they're ready to marry. Lao Tzu once said, 'Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage' and, if you know Spencer and Toby and know half of the things they've been through as a couple, you'll know they're easily one of the strongest and most courageous couples this world has seen."

A few chuckles and a small chorus of agreement rings throughout the church. Spencer grins at this notion and Toby squeezes her hands, joy in his eyes. Ted says, "But I could stand up here and quote a bunch of dead guys until I'm blue in the face and that still wouldn't quite allow you to grasp the special connection that Toby and Spencer share. The love that has bloomed between them as teenagers has only grown and flourished with time and those who were lucky enough to witness it then are now able to reap the benefits of seeing this followed through with marriage. So, I could easily give you another profound quote about love and marriage, but that won't quite capture what Spencer and Toby have. And who better to tell you what's between them than Spencer and Toby themselves? They have chosen to write their own wedding vows and I think, here and now, are the best place to hear them. Toby?"

Toby inhales a deep breath and the hands that had been so steady and warm in her own have begun shaking. "Spencer… It has taken me weeks to be able to put into words how much you mean to me. From the moment you stepped onto my front porch that day, with your determined, firecracker, no-nonsense personality, you captivated my mind, my soul and my heart. You somehow managed to bring me out of my shell, out of my sorry, despaired existence, and into a world with you, where I was able to find happiness, validation and, most importantly, love. You have always been and continue to be the sun upon my darkest days, my escape when things get tough and the single most important person in my life. You're the love of my life, my soul mate, and my very best friend. I promise to love and to cherish you from now until the end of our days. I promise to care for you when you're sick and hold you when you're upset. I promise to keep you safe and protected and happy. And most of all, I promise you forever, I promise you a life full of new experiences, I promise you that we'll always be together. Always."

Spencer's positive there are tears streaming down her face and she is proven right a second later when he lets go of one of her hands to swipe them away. She hasn't even pulled herself together yet when Ted asks, "Spencer?"

"Oh God. Oh God, how do I follow that?" Spencer blurts out and to her relief, a few people, including Toby, chuckle. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I just… I need a second."

Ted smirks. "Take your time."

She, too, swipes underneath her eyes, wary of her makeup and silently thanking the stylist for using waterproof mascara. "Toby… I, like you, had a terribly hard time coming up with a way to put what we have into words, because to me at least, it's always been indescribable. I didn't think there were enough words in the English language for me to tell you how grateful I am for all you've done for me or how grateful I am to have you in my life not only as my best friend, but also as my lover, my companion. When I think about what you and I have gone through together, I know now that you and I can overcome anything because you have always been my rock, my shoulder to cry on and my strongest supporter. You helped me through some of the toughest times in my life, believed in me until I could believe in myself, and showed me the positives in a world where so much was wrong. You inspire me to become a better person each and every day and I'm grateful for the incredible impact you've had on my life just by sticking with me. I promise you that we will never lose our spark, that I'll stand by you through everything, and that I'll love and care for you forever. You are, always have been and always will be, my safe place to land."

Toby's eyes are filled with tears too, now, and Spencer knows in this, they are the same. Ted grins at each of them, before looking out on a crowd in which several people are dabbing at their eyes. "I always knew they wouldn't disappoint. Now that you've heard their words, I must ask, if anyone can share a just cause as to why these two should not be married, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

An echoing silence follows and Ted chuckles the tiniest bit. "I didn't think so. May I have the rings?"

Sparkling on a red velvet pillow, Ted hands the wedding bands to each one of them, saying, "Take these rings as a symbol of your unity, your love and your undying devotion to one another. Toby, place this ring on Spencer's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

"With this ring," He reaches out and slides the band onto her fourth finger, right beside her engagement ring. "I thee wed."

"Spencer, place this ring on Toby's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

Her hands are shaking still and she momentarily panics she's going to drop this ring because her grip is so terrible right now. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"By the power vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania," Ted beams. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

A peal of raucous applause resounds throughout the entire church, their guests cheering and leaping to their feet in pure joy and excitement. The orchestra starts up again, playing lively tunes, and Caleb's whistling to their left, the girls making a rowdy ruckus to their right. Spencer hears none of this, honestly. She's much too wrapped up, quite literally speaking, in Toby's arms. His lips are warm and purposeful on her own and she reaches up, frames his face in her hands, and pulls him closer and closer. This is love in its purest form. This is eternal happiness, something she'd always hoped to achieve. This is the beginning of the rest of their lives and here she is, kissing the man she loves most in this world over and over and this man has been by her side for years and years. This man is now her husband. She knows it's true and Ted's announced it to the entire congregation, but it's going to take some getting used to, for sure.

When the need to breathe becomes insatiable, they pull apart, grin madly at one another, and then process, hand in hand, down the aisle. The entire bridal party follows behind, as cocktail hour has begun upon arrival at the reception, and, much to their chagrin, the rain hasn't let up in the slightest. Spencer throws a cautionary glance at the bottom of her gown, at the train that she and Aria spent the better half of an hour pinning up, before everyone seems to jump into action all at once. Caleb and Hanna reach for oversized umbrellas as Emily calls for the limos to come around to the front of the church and when they do, the driver tosses the door open and Toby scoops Spencer, bridal style. She's laughing the entire time, even after he deposits her into the backseat of the limo, but with his ministrations and their friends' quick thinking and umbrella work, she doesn't get a single droplet of rain on her. The driver congratulates them before driving off towards the country club and neither Spencer nor Toby can keep the smile off their faces. On one side of the club, in the banquet hall, their cocktail hour begins. On the other side, however, is an endless stream of photographs with their wedding photographer in an attempt to capture the moment despite the dreary weather.

Upon the conclusion of their pictures, the emcee ensures all guests are seated before announcing the couple's imminent arrival. And once the rest of the bridal party and family have been announced, he shouts excitedly, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce to you- for the first time- Mr. and Mrs. Toby and Spencer Cavanaugh!"

It makes her heart swell three times its normal size. Spencer Cavanaugh. How long has she waited, desperately begged, to be anyone else but Spencer Hastings? How much has she wanted, desperately pleaded, to be with Toby for the rest of her life? It had seemed nearly impossible in their worst moments and utterly too far out of reach in their best and yet, here they are. He twirls her onto the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife and Spencer honestly feels like she's flying. But he comes with a warning, "I'm mostly likely going to step on you. Or make a fool out of myself in front of all our friends and family."

"You are not," Spencer disagrees. "You say this every time we have the opportunity to dance."

"I hate dancing. I'm not good at it."

"I think you sell yourself short," Spencer disagrees. "Emily's said that you've got some serious moves and I'm offended that I've never seen them."

"And Emily's basing this on what?"

"Homecoming."

"Homecoming?" He exclaims. "When you were juniors? When you hated me and everyone else thought I was a freak?"

She shoots him a pointed look. "Don't bring that up at our wedding."

"You brought it up, remember?" Toby says and she frowns, knowing he's right. "I hate to break it to you, but Emily's pulling your leg."

"Is she? She said your dancing reminded her of a wind-up toy gone rogue," Spencer jests. "Which, I have to say, sounds highly entertaining and incredibly cute."

Toby chuckles. "Oh God. All the women in my life are against me."

"Excuse me? All the women?" Spencer teases. "As of an hour ago, you are officially off the market. I better be the only one."

"Spencer," He grins. "You have always been the only one."

She grins, too, and reaches upward to place a chaste kiss on his lips, swaying on the spot. When the song ends and everyone erupts into applause, the emcee hands over the microphone and Spencer announces, "Hi everyone! Toby and I would like to take the time, now, to thank each and every one of you for coming out here today to celebrate with us. I know this wedding didn't exactly turn out like anyone had planned and the weather certainly isn't celebratory, but we aren't going to let it rain on our parade- literally. We're grateful for all the love and support that you've given us throughout the years and also by attending our wedding today. Hopefully you all have a wonderful time!"

"Thank you, once again, for coming and for taking part in our special occasion," Toby adds once she's passed the microphone to him. "And now, without further ado, it's time to eat!"

A few cheers emit at this and the couple chuckles, heading for their seats at the head table. Of course, in the designing of this reception, they had chosen to incorporate subtle hints from Scrabble, their favorite game and the one that had brought them together; instead of table numbers, each table had instead a table letter with the point value in the bottom and, instead of place cards with the guests' names on them, each name was instead spelled out with Scrabble tiles on the wooden sleeve above their plates. Both of Spencer's parents say a blessing over the sacred meal as the appetizer course is served and then, the sound of the band playing a soft, soothing tune accompanies the scraping of forks on plates and the light conversation.

Between the first and second course, Caleb taps his champagne glass and the room quiets. "Hi, if I could have everyone's attention for just a moment? Thank you. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Caleb Rivers and I'm the best man. Actually, it's funny, a few years ago, at my wedding, Toby was my best man, so it's like the roles have been reversed, here. And Toby was a phenomenal best man; I mean he did everything you'd want a best man to do. He listened to me vent and helped lighten the stress load and organized a killer bachelor party. When it came time for the wedding, he crafted this beautifully heartwarming speech that had you laughing one minute and reaching for a tissue the next. My wife, Hanna, said that it was the most amazing speech she'd ever heard and I agreed. Unfortunately, Toby, I'm a married man now, so I haven't had the time to do all that. You'll understand that in like a week or two."

Hanna, from beside him, rolls her eyes, but the rest of the room shares in a round of laughter. "No, in all honesty, I had no problem coming up with a speech for Toby and Spencer. It was easy; they've both been good friends of mine since we were stupid teenagers who thought we knew everything. Toby just has this incredibly easygoing, relaxed, approachable way about him that just kind of makes you feel like everything's going to be alright; that no problem is ever too big or too trivial to address and to conquer. Spencer's kind of the opposite but, trust me, I mean that in the best way possible. She's the fiercest competitor I have ever known, she's extremely intelligent, and she will fight tooth and nail for what she believes in. And to know these two as a couple is kind of an awesome thing because when you look at them, they're polar opposites and they probably shouldn't work. But they do. They do because they have a connection that is more than you or I could ever comprehend and they have more in common than you can ever notice just by glancing at them. For those they care about, they'll do just about anything; something I've learned personally, firsthand. Their capacity to love others and to love one another is one of the most incredible things I've ever witnessed in my life. I have no doubt that these two will share a lifetime of happy memories together and, honestly, we're all lucky that we're able to be here to witness it. Spencer, Toby? We're along for the ride. Let's make it a good one, shall we? Thank you."

"Thank you," Toby tells him and Spencer nods her agreement as the applause dies down and everyone sips their drinks.

And it's just after the third course when Emily's turn arises. She, too, taps at her glass and once again, the room quiets. "Hi everyone! Thank you so much for being here today! My name is Emily Fields and I'm the maid of honor. That beautiful, blushing bride over there is one of my best friends and, oddly enough, so is her charming, wonderful husband. I've known Spencer since middle school, when we fell into the same crowd, and it's true, what Caleb said, about her being a fierce competitor; it was something I'd learned about her from the very beginning. It didn't take much to set her off, but it did take a lot to talk her down from flying off the handle, because she was, and is still, incredibly protective of those she loves. It's one of the qualities I love most about her; I always knew that when I went to Spencer with a problem, it was getting handled, one way or another! And, funnily enough, Toby is very similar. He was the very first person I ever confided in, the person who gave me the courage to accept and be who I am, the one person who never judged me for a single decision, good or otherwise, I made throughout my life. He talked me through it, helped me with anything I needed, and was- and is- always there for me in times of struggle."

"But enough about me- this is about them. And I thought long and hard about a good story to share when I first sat down to write this speech and it came to me almost instantly," Emily continues. "I had been friends with Toby long before Spencer even considered giving him the time of day. When she had, she'd gone to tutor him in French and the rest is history, right? We all know the story and I won't bore you with the details a second time. I would like, however, to tell you about the details that transpired directly after their first meeting. She'd come over to my house in a sort of dazed, trance-like state and I will never forget what she said when I asked her how their tutoring session had gone. He's different. Those were her exact words; he's different than what I thought he would be. I always found that to be kind of funny, right? Because of course he was; she'd gone into the meeting thinking he was a monster, which, anyone who knows him will know Toby is the exact opposite of that. But it's what she said after that always stuck with me; there's something about him that's… I don't know. Speechless. He'd left her speechless. And I'm sure those of you who know Spencer know that that's not really an easy thing to do."

The room joins in Emily's laughter and Spencer rolls her eyes. "Just kidding, Spence. But it's something that I always found so profoundly meaningful. I should've suspected, even then, that they would eventually grow closer and their feelings for one another would turn romantic. I should've suspected then that they would soon become the other's biggest fan, fiercest protector and number one priority. I should've suspected then that they would be destined for a love so grand, it spanned ages and lasted through the many tests life threw their way. I didn't, not at first, but it didn't take long to realize it. I've said it before; watching love blossom between your two best friends is one of the most incredible experiences in the world. To this day, Toby remains the question that even Spencer Hastings can't answer. And, honestly, he's been leaving her speechless ever since. So, here's to the bride and groom. If ever there was a couple destined for greatness, made for one another, it's Toby and Spencer. I wish you all the happiness in the world. Thank you."

Spencer stands to embrace her best friend in a form of thanks and Toby, after their moment, follows her lead. She's honestly never felt more loved in all her life. When the meal is finished and the plates have been cleared away, the band strikes up a rousing good time and everyone flocks to the dance floor to get this party started. Toby and Spencer begin to make the rounds to personally thank each one of their guests for coming and pause for just a moment for the bouquet toss, the garter toss and the cutting of their beautiful cake. They feed each other a bite as lovingly as they can, but as the cake is usually a sign that it's okay to leave after, they never finish their slices; they must, instead, continue to make the rounds. Once everyone's in a rousing round of the Cupid Shuffle, Spencer and Toby spot his parents at the far side of the room, just slipping into their coats and shaking out their umbrellas. Unknowingly, the newlyweds had been putting off speaking to them all evening.

"Dad," Toby says the moment they approach, Spencer's hand tightly clasped in one of his own. "You're leaving?"

"Love to stay longer, but we've got an early morning tomorrow," Daniel replies. "Got to be at the airport by six."

"Oh, okay," Toby says lamely and Spencer says nothing beside him. She can already guess where they're going. "Well… We wanted to thank you for coming."

Heather is silent; she merely purses her lips in response. Daniel nods and says, "It was a nice wedding. Cake was to die for."

She's just glanced over her shoulder at the other guests when Daniel pulls her attention back, the first words he's ever spoken directly to her. "Listen, Spencer, I… I'm sorry about the way I acted last night. It was rude and uncalled for."

Her eyes widen and she nods too quickly. "Okay. Yeah. Thanks."

Daniel nods curtly and offers her a tight-lipped, "Congratulations."

Again, she can do nothing but stare at him. "Thank you."

They turn to go with no more words said and Spencer turns to her husband, her voice low. "Good God, that's like getting approval from the President."

Toby smirks. "Come on. Let's get back."

They join the rest of their guests for the final dance and the emcee announces their exit. With friends and family on either side, sparklers, ribbons and confetti erupting from their hands, Spencer and Toby make their grand exit out of the club and into that old faithful tan Chevy truck, decorated with streamers and paint exclaiming, 'Just Married!' Everyone waves as they pull away from the scene and Spencer watches from the side view mirror as they become smaller and smaller with distance. She watches as Toby passes the middle of the town and then the loft and confusion knits her brow. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Toby grins and there's mischief in his eyes.

The rain's let up and left the air muggy and humid, but they don't mind. Toby's truck weaves in and out of traffic, towards the edge of town, and climbs up the hill past Rosewood. It doesn't take Spencer long to figure out where they're headed. He parks right beside that deep cerulean 'Welcome to Rosewood' sign, cuts the engine and glances out over the town until his headlights dim and fade to black. Spencer smiles, full of nostalgia, and pushes the passenger door open, lifting the hem of her dress so it doesn't dangle in the damp sod and cautiously avoiding the puddles here and there until she reaches the overlook. The lights twinkle red and green and white, the town lit up like a Christmas tree, and a lifetime has passed since they'd been back here, but it still feels the same. Toby comes to stand beside her a moment later and, wordlessly, he slips an arm around her waist as she comes to lean quite comfortably against him.

"You know, you were right," Spencer comments after a moment. "It's really not so bad from up here. It honestly just looks like a town."

"Yeah, well, that's all it is," Toby echoes her sentiment. "Isn't that what you told me?"

"I was a naïve little girl," Spencer says. "I hadn't even seen the horrors yet, at that point."

"That life's far behind us." Toby replies. "And even though we had different plans, I'm glad we got married here."

"Me too. Just because we went through some really rough times doesn't mean we didn't have great ones," Spencer tells him. "And none of those awful things take away from the fact that this is our hometown and this is what ultimately brought us together in the first place."

Toby nods his agreement and an uncharacteristically cool breeze threads through the air. Spencer then says, "Even though the caterer was late and the florist brought the wrong flowers and our fathers made fools of themselves last night… Today was everything I ever hoped it would be. It was perfect."

"It was," Toby concurs. "But everyday with you always is."

Spencer glances at him, mirth in her eyes. "Are you going to say cheesy shit like that for the rest of our lives?"

"You better believe it," Toby grins. "You are in for a lifetime of cheesy shit, Spencer Hastings, so you better get used to it now."

"Spencer Hastings?" She questions. "Don't you mean Spencer Cavanaugh?"

"I don't know," Toby shrugs. "We haven't really talked about it. You don't have to change your name, you know. You're all about female empowerment and everything and I respect that."

"I want to," She insists. "I told you, I'm done being a Hastings."

"Well, I'm not going to complain about that."

"I didn't think you would."

He grins and kisses her, soft and slow. "I love you so much, Mrs. Cavanaugh."

"I love you, Mr. Cavanaugh," Spencer beams. "I think this is the start of a wonderfully glorious life together."

"Spencer," Toby replies, his blue eyes sparkling. "I wholesomely agree."