"Toby!" Aria called as she burst into his loft. "We're coming with you!"

Toby spun around, paralyzed with fear. He had been busily packing a backpack, but now he quickly tried to conceal whatever he was doing. "What? Aria, what are you doing here! You and Harper are supposed to be waiting checking Melissa's office!"

After the calamity at the hospital, the group decided to send out search parties. "Okay, here's what's we'll do," Toby had instructed, taking the lead. "Mike and Ezra, hop in a car and start taking rounds around the city. Just cover as much ground as possible. Aria and Harper, go to Melissa's office, your dorm room, anywhere special you think Melissa might have left us some sort of clue. I'll hop in my truck and head to Rosewood, see if I can find her there."

"You shouldn't be alone," Harper insisted, watching him nervously.

Toby shook his head. "I'll be fine. Now let's move!" But no one moved right away. Everyone passed uneasy glances back and forth for a few minutes before finding the ability to move on. Aria kissed Ezra goodbye, gave Mike and long hug. And Harper not once took her eyes off Toby.

Now, Toby was confused as to why Aria had followed him to his apartment when she was supposed to be searching the city. And more importantly, he was praying to God that she wouldn't see what he was packing in his backpack.

"You heard me! We're coming with you!"

"'We?'"

"Harper and I. She's waiting downstairs in your truck. You're not going to Rosewood without us!"

"Aria-"

"No, Toby," Aria declared, taking step forward. "You and I both know that we aren't going to find Spencer here. She's in Rosewood. You think I'd be dumb enough to stay back while you went after them?"

Toby stared at her. "You still think I'm evil, don't you."

Aria bit her lip. "No, I think you are trying to be some kind of white night. But she- goddamit Toby, you're not the only one allowed to love her. I can't let you walk into this alone. I don't just want to be there; I need to be there."

Toby sighed and stepped forward. "Aria, I-" He got cut off when his backpack fell to the ground, the contents spilling all over the floor.

It fell with a clatter and skidded across the floor, right over to where Aria was standing. Toby sucked in a deep breath, preparing for her to scream, or yell. But as always, she surprised him.

Aria calmly leaned over and picked up the gun, stroking the top of it with her index finger. "I know why you have this," she murmured.

"Do you?" he spat. "Do you really?"

She put a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. "Toby, I know how you have this figured out in your mind. You sent me, Harper, Ezra, and Mike off to do some mindless chores while you race off to Rosewood-" Her voice was reaching a crescendo, getting high and dramatic like she was telling a crazy story, "And find Spencer in her time of need, and you confront Melissa at gunpoint, proving how manly and heroic you are, and then-"

"And then what, Aria?" Toby cried. "Then what? I shoot Melissa? I gang tackle her? She hands over Spencer in some kind of peaceful defeat?"

Aria's eyes softened as she took a step towards him. "Toby-"

"No, Aria," he whimpered as tears clouded his eyes. "I don't know what's going to happen after that. But what I know is that I can't let you, or Harper, or anyone else get hurt tonight. This is my battle, my fault. I caused all of this, and I don't want you there. I'm cleaning up my own mess."

Aria gave him a sympathetic smile as she brushed one of his tears away with her thumb. "Toby, you didn't cause this. Melissa did. It's not your fault. I mean, I know that sounds crazy because an hour ago I was ready to push you out that window." She laughed, gesturing to the tiny window in his apartment. Toby smirked at her. She was right; an hour ago, they were about to kill each other. And now? They were each other's only friend.

"Toby, this isn't about you. It's about Spencer. It's about the danger she's in. And believe me, I want to fry Melissa just as much as you do. And I know you don't want me or Harper to come, but if we do, it's. . . three against one."

Toby bit his lip. "You're not going to let me go alone, are you?"

"Not a chance."

Toby shrugged. "Well, my truck only seats two, so one of you girls is taking the bus."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Toby-"

"Harper shouldn't be mixed up in any of this," he explained. "And she doesn't know the full story. If you have to come, fine, but I'm not letting Harper come too. We can tell her. . ."

"What? LIE to her?" Aria snarled.

"Do YOU want her there when this all goes down?"

"Well, no," Aria admitted. "But. . . what will we do? Just give her a bus ticket to Rosewood and say 'good luck finding us?'"

"We'll give her the address to your house, tell her to meet us there," Toby reasoned. "It'll keep her out of danger, but she'll be around if we need her."

"Like that'll happen," Aria mumbled in response.

So it was decided.

Two against one could be just as effective as three against one. Or so they hoped.

Toby and Aria met Harper outside by his truck, where they shoved money for a bus ticket into Harper's hand. Aria slid into the passenger seat of the truck and buckled her seatbelt, waiting for him to follow, but Harper tried to pull him aside.

"Toby? Do you mind if I talk to you privately before you go?"

Toby glanced in Aria's direction, and she shrugged. Harper pulled him around the back of the truck and leaned in close to him.

"Toby, I've been thinking," she whispered shyly, "I don't know what's going to happen tonight. Everything with you, and Spencer, and Aria has just been, so, so CRAZY, and-"

"Harper," he said tenderly, grabbing her hand. "What's wrong?"

She gulped and looked him straight in the eye. "If I don't say this to you now, I don't think I'll ever be able to say it. But Toby, I- I have feelings for you."

Aria glanced in the rearview mirror of the truck. What was going on back there? The two of them were leaning in really close, like they were sharing a secret.

"I know you might not feel the same," Harper continued. "I know you care about Spencer, but. . . I just needed to tell you. Because every time I see you, sparks fly." She looked down at the ground, ashamed and embarrassed.

"Harper," Toby said, sighing gently. "I. . . I feel the exact same way." He then gently placed a hand on her chin, tipped it up, and kissed her softly on the lips. She leaned into him, and pressed her lips to his even harder.

After a few seconds, Harper pulled back slightly. "I was not expecting that," she whispered into his lips.

Toby pulled back more. "Me neither," he replied. "Harper, we can talk more after tonight. I can't do this right now, but. . . I want to do it some time. I'll meet you in Rosewood in a few hours, and after that, we can talk, okay?"

Harper nodded, cheeks flushed pink, and pulled Toby into a hug. The two said goodbye, and Harper quickly ran off towards the street. She caught a taxi at the corner, and soon she was gone. Just like that. As if the whole thing never happened.

But as soon as she disappeared, Aria came barreling out of the truck, a tiny ball of fury headed straight for Toby. "Aria, I-" he began, but didn't get a chance to finish. The minute Aria reached him, she swiftly raised a knee into his crotch, causing him to collapse and howl in pain against the side of the truck.

"What the hell was that for?" he screeched, crossing his legs and pulling them close to his chest.

"You just kissed HARPER?" Aria growled, hands clutched tightly into fists. "I saw the whole thing in the rear view mirror. God, Toby, you almost had me fooled. For a second, I really thought you were a decent guy."

"Let me explain," he begged, trying to stand up straight.

"Explain what, how you just told me you love Spencer, but you just kissed Harper? Explain what a fucking PHONY you are?"

"No, Aria," Toby cried. "I don't know if I'm going to make it tonight!"

Aria took a step back, shocked by his words. "Wait. . What?" she asked simply.

"Aria," he pleaded, finally able to stand. "I- I love Spencer, and I would do anything for her. I would even die for her. And I'm afraid it might come to that tonight."

"What are you saying?" Aria whimpered fearfully.

"I'm saying there's no guarantee that I'm going to walk out of there tonight. Yeah, I led Harper on, but. . . the chances I'll be alive in a few days to actually move things further? Not so great. I might as well make her happy while I can."

"Toby, are you saying you think you might die tonight?"

He turned away from Aria; he refused to look at her face when he spoke. "I'd take a bullet for Spencer. You know I would. I won't let anything happen to her tonight."

"What if you're too late to be the hero?" Aria said bluntly. "What if whatever is going to happen to her already did?"

"Well," Toby said honestly, "That's what my gun is for. There's two bullets: one for Melissa, and one for me."

NO.

"Toby," Aria whispered, stepping close to him. "I will not let you do that. I- I can't."

Toby looked at her warily. "If you want to stop me, than you'll have to save Spencer."