Author's Note: A lot of you were worried about Spencer vs. Hanna. I hope this chapter quells your fears...
Also, a PSA in the bottom author's note :)
Chapter Twenty
"I don't even know why you're bothering with this; we all know that I'm superior at baking in every single way," Hanna responded as she watched Spencer ice Cassidy's birthday cake.
"No, Hanna. This is going to put an end to this battle once and for all," Spencer responded. "Cassidy loves the color pink—"
"And my cake is three different shades of pink," Hanna interjected.
Spencer, a bit flustered, came up with another way to one-up her. "Okay, well, Cassidy loves butterflies—"
"And my cake has edible sugar butterflies on it," the blonde interrupted with a sly smile. "Face it. I've got you beat."
Spencer frowned. "Alright, well…you may win aesthetically, but mine is clearly going to taste better."
"Oh, really? Because I don't think you used extra-large eggs and added pudding, along with whipping it until it's fluffy," Hanna replied as she crossed her arms. "You're done!" she sing-songed.
Spencer pouted. "We'll see which one Cassidy likes the best," she answered as she put down the icing bag. "I guess we'll let the birthday girl decide."
Hanna and Spencer scrutinized Cassidy as she looked at each cake.
"The one with the purple butterfly is really pretty," she commented, pointing at Hanna's cake. It had three shades of icing—dusty rose, fuchsia, and baby pink—along with a pretty purple sugar butterfly and silver edible pearls.
Aria looked at Hanna and Spencer in amusement. "Why don't you try them, Angel?"
Cassidy took a bite of Spencer's first. "This one is really yummy," she said. Spencer looked at Hanna happily. Then, she took a little forkful of Hanna's cake and her eyes lit up. "This one is really soft! And yummy!" she added.
Spencer groaned in defeat. Hanna yelped in excitement. "I won! I won! My cake is better than yours!" she sing-songed, taunting Spencer.
A moment later, Jason walked in with Caleb and Toby. Cassidy looked up and ran over to them. She jumped into Toby's arms.
"Uncle Toby!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in forever!" she shouted. She was quite the dramatic, considering she last saw her uncle about a week prior.
"What am I, chopped liver?" Caleb asked.
"I saw you yesterday," Cassidy answered with a shrug.
"What about Daddy, Cassidy?" Aria inquired.
Cassidy shrugged again. "I saw him like an hour ago."
Jason sighed. "Kids. All they do is break your heart," he commented dramatically. Aria had to roll her eyes a little.
"It's okay, Daddy. I'll write to you on the weekends," she said.
Aria laughed at her daughter. "I have the feeling that she's going to be a good little actress someday."
"Yeah," everyone else replied in unison.
"Do you want to open your presents now, Cassidy?" Aria asked.
Cassidy nodded eagerly.
"Has Aria talked to you about the honeymoon?" Hanna asked as she took a bite of her chocolate croissant two weeks later.
Spencer furrowed her eyebrows. "Honeymoon?"
Hanna nodded. "Yeah. Since they already had Cassidy and she was still little, they never took a honeymoon, but they decided to take one in May. Since nobody really wants anyone else on their honeymoon, they were talking about who's going to take care of Cassidy while they're away," Hanna explained. "Do you think you'd take care of her?"
Spencer nodded without hesitation. "Sure. I mean…I love Cassidy. And we have the space for it. And she loves Toby."
"Of course, she loves Toby. It's her uncle, Spencer. Don't tell Caleb or Aria's brother that I said this, but he's probably her favorite uncle," Hanna said before drinking some coffee.
Spencer nodded.
"But I think we're a tie for favorite aunt," Hanna snuck in."
Spencer rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I think I can live with that, Han."
"I'm the fashionable aunt who buys her everything and you're the aunt that actually acts all sappy and gives life lessons and stuff like that."
"I'll make sure to note that when I get home."
Hanna finished her croissant. "I'm going to get another croissant…or two," she replied. Spencer was about to comment, but before she could, Hanna was off.
When Hanna finally came back, she inquired, "Since when do you eat breakfast? And why are you having three croissants? And…is there something wrong, Hanna?"
"Why would anything be wrong?" the blonde asked before taking a bite of her chocolate croissant.
"Because I know you and I know you only eat like this when you're really stressed. Talk."
Hanna sighed. "I just feel like…Caleb and I are getting a little distant. He's barely around and when he does, he just acts like he's…hiding something," she explained.
Spencer narrowed her eyes as she thought about it. "That's…odd," she supposed.
Hanna nodded. "I know. That's why I'm…scared."
"So how are you spending Valentine's Day with him?"
She sighed. "I have a really nice night planned for tonight, but…what if it's not enough?"
"Well, then Caleb's an idiot because you're adorable and lovable," she assured Hanna. "But I think Caleb is smarter than that."
Hanna smiled at Spencer. "What are you doing with Toby tonight?"
Spencer had a tiny smile on her face. It was almost devious. "Well…if you really want to know—"
"I'm not so sure I do anymore."
"—we're going to have dinner at this Italian place he drew the designs for and then we're coming back home for dessert," she answered, ignoring Hanna.
"Are you the dessert?" Hanna inquired.
Spencer blushed a little. "Well…probably, but aside from that, the place has this little bakery in the front and Toby's been raving to me about ever since the place opened."
Hanna had a sly little smirk on her face. "Since when does Spencer Cavanaugh ever talk about stuff that happens in her bedroom?"
"Since you asked me about it?" she replied innocently.
Hanna sighed. "Not the point I was trying to make, but I'm happy for the two of you. At least one of us is getting some action," she lamented.
Spencer rolled her eyes. "Okay, Hanna. What's a long time without sex for you? Two weeks?"
"Three!" the blonde pouted.
"These are very cute," Spencer said as she fixed the yellow tulips her husband had gotten her in a vase. They looked absolutely perfect.
"Cute? I guess this isn't going to be a good—"
"Toby, shut up," she advised as she moved the tulips from the kitchen counter to the dining room table. "They're perfect. You probably have a whole garden waiting in our bedroom, don't you?"
"…No?"
"There are probably roses everywhere and you probably painted me like twelve times since the last time you made a shrine to me. Nothing surprises me anymore," she disclosed.
"Really?" he asked, a bit upset.
"Nope." She finally caught onto his unhappy expression. "But it never ceases to make me happy and make me smile," she added before kissing him on the cheek. "I'm taking a shower and then I'll be back down and we can leave. Should I wear a dress?" Spencer asked as she began to walk up the stairs.
"I'd prefer nothing."
"I'd prefer not looking like a nudist."
It had begun to pour as they walked out of the restaurant with a bag of pastries in hand. They were both laughing by the time they had gotten to the car.
"Why does it seem to pour every time we have a date or something?" she asked.
"I guess rain is just our thing. I still remember the pouring rain in Paris."
She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think that it rained every day we were there."
Toby smiled. "I think that's a good thing."
A short while later, they had gotten back to their house. Mowgli and Pandora were playing around downstairs. After finishing dessert—which consisted of one giant, delicious éclair—they both went upstairs, with Mowgli and Pandora still lurking around downstairs, probably playing hide and seek.
"You're getting really antsy, Toby," Spencer commented as she changed in the bathroom.
"Am I not supposed to be? My gorgeous wife is getting undressed for me in the next room."
"I don't recall this ever turning you on before," she commented.
"It has, I just…never really expressed it."
Spencer rolled her eyes slightly before opening the door. She was standing in only lace lingerie. She realized she was teasing him.
"Turned on now?" she asked playfully.
"Please tell me that's not a serious question," Toby responded, averting his eyes slightly.
She shook her head before walking over to him. After several kisses, his lips found their way down her neck.
"Spence, did you get some éclair cream on your neck? Or your chest?" he asked, stopping abruptly.
She furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"
"You taste like éclair right now," he commented. They exchanged confused looks before he said, "Never mind," and they went back to what they were doing.
But secretly, she had put some crème on her neck, and considering the payoff…she was certainly glad she had.
"You know what I think would've been more fun?" she inquired later that night, as they lay down together. "Eating dessert off of each other."
"I think I practically did that," he commented.
She smiled slightly. "Yeah, and I enjoyed it, hence, I suggested it."
Toby smiled somewhat deviously before nuzzling her neck and pulling her closer. "Are my lips really that amazing?"
"Yes," she answered babyishly. He pressed a few kisses to her neck. "Stop!" she exclaimed. "You're teasing me!" she whined.
"I know. It's fun."
Spencer sighed dramatically. "It's not fun for me!" she pouted. Although she acted as though she was unhappy, a huge part of her couldn't even begin to think of how blessed she was to have found him. With Andrew…she was never this bubbly or carefree, or…happy. She felt like she was truly herself with him. It was amazing.
Toby, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised by her demeanor lately, but still felt anxious. Right around Christmastime and when he had brought her to New York City, she had begun to get a little less uptight and worried about conceiving. He still couldn't help but feel that perhaps she was just being less vocal about it nowadays. He certainly hoped not, but he was still on-edge.
Guest: Thank you :)
sarahschneider2012:I get that, I guess, but personally, I find that kind of dumb. I voted for Troian and Keegan simply because I like the both of them, but if I didn't like Keegan that much, I would totally vote for Ian. But I guess fans tend to like both of the actors in their PLL OTP. But Tyler and Ashley were also the only PLL people in that category (I'm pretty sure Ian was up against Keegan and Troian was up against Lucy, but Ashley and Tyler were alone [from the PLL cast] in their respective categories).
spobylover1237:Yes, patience is a virtue. It'll happen soon. I hope to give you guys good news around the time school starts because I WILL NEED HAPPY REVIEWS IN ORDER TO FUNCTION. At least I can be grateful that we don't have a full first week of school this year and it's only two days...thank you!
arubagirl926:Thanks! I'm glad that you liked it!
Elana02199:I liked the Melissa/Spencer part of it and I was glad Toby was able to join the party, but it annoys me SO much that the writers write him so OOC (imo) when it comes to Hanna. I just don't think he'd be that mean to her (and he's like always mean to her), especially since she's one of Spencer's best friends and his best friend's girlfriend. But at least there were pink drinks :) I'm glad you liked it!
MilaMizz:You were close! They were fighting over a different cutie. Cassidy. Obviously, I think Pandora loves her mommy more, though. Hanna's the cool aunt. I don't really see them actually fighting, either. I'm glad you liked it!
eveningshades1107: I'm ready to make a shirt that says, "#PINK DRINKS". I'm doing it one day, I swear. We should all make a petition for there to be shirts that say that. icing on the cake would be a pic of Spencer and Hanna sipping the pink drinks from the last ep (because Spanna is my brotp...and Taleb, of course). I totally got it from MATD/The Jungle Book. And the pic of the cat I got...he just looks like a Mowgli. If there's not at least one reference to Marina/one of her songs, it's not really a Kayson story. IDK Toby is so unrealistic in my story and somehow, he's still...in character? Toby Cavanaugh is not real. I am 1000% sure about this (and 100000% sad about it). I FORGOT ABOUT MEAN GIRLS' DAMIAN. I also love his line: "That's why her hair is so big. It's full of secrets." I'm forever going to have the image of Jason saying that exact quote (you need to watch Mean Girls PLL Style on youtube. Perfection). Toby and Caleb are the worst orderers in the history of everything. IDK I did the whole Jason/Ali/Hastings thing based off of the PLL books (because I feel like they're so neglected in this fandom...some people just don't realize how much of a genius Sara Shepard really was when she came up with the PLL books). I think in the books, Ali is a secret Hastings and in the TV show, it's the opposite, so I decided to make it both of them. I don't have a court in the PLL world. In the music world, I know that Marina is the goddess, Lana is the Queen (or King? I don't even know anymore.), Gin is probably the princess, and ZZ is too...idk what the word is, but she's not a princess. She's like a dutchess or a countess or something idk but she's not a princess. That's too prim and proper. I just knew you'd die from the last chapter. Tbh, I was dying just writing the last chapter. I'm a total MT geek, too.
Guest:NO, AND I AM MAD ABOUT IT BECAUSE TROIAN ALWAYS LOOKS FLAWLESS AT THE TCAS. Alison is an interesting character but I cannot stand her as a person. Like, if she were really a person, I would want to smack her. In the face. With a chair. Personally...I think Melissa will die. I don't really want her to die, but they won't kill Paige; shippers will have a heart attack/Emily will have a heart attack. They won't kill Ezra; the Ezrians will kill Marlene & Co. They won't kill Toby; the spobettes will launch a petition to stop the show or like boycott it or some shite (which I am on board with). They could kill Noel, but I feel like he's not relevant enough. They BETTER NOT KILL MONA or I AM going to kill Marlene & Co. Aww, that is so nice! That story is my little baby. I'm so glad you liked it! Well, hopefully, I will finish my story (non-fanfic) by the time I graduate (and I'm hoping by the end of the year) and get it published before I start applying to colleges. If anything ever happens with that book, all my readers here would be the very first people to know.
AL3110: BUT WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE CHAPTER?
Guest (spoby4626): Wait, what? Did I forget to review or something? I am so sorry! What did I do? I'm very confused. I'm sorry that I left you hanging!
My little PSA is that my new Haleb/Spoby story, How to Be a Heartbreaker, will be uploaded this Wednesday. I really hope you will all read it because I'm really, really excited about this one. Here's the official synopsis:
Hanna Marin and Spencer Hastings are two women involved in a dangerous, scandalous, and shady world: prostitution. Though their job is all about sex, it's not all pleasure, especially for Hanna. When the pair meets Caleb and Toby, the two don't know where the line lies between business and pleasure. Things only get more complicated when Hanna gets wrapped up in one of her shady client's business dealings.
Teasers for the next chapter: Pamela's birthday, (sexy) vets, Spencer/Natalie/Caleb, and a pending proposal (of what sort I cannot say). -Kayson