Alternate scene from The Devil You Know.
Author's note: Love PLL but not the many inappropriate relationships that were just glossed over. One of my hot buttons is Spencer being blamed for "stealing her sister's boyfriends." So, I decided to expand on the scene in which Veronica Hastings apologizes to Spencer for not believing her about Ian. Some of the inspiration for this also came from Troian Bellisario. watch?v=JmuZDExuYR4
I love what she says in the interview (if you want to watch and the link does not work, it's on YouTube-search Troian Bellisario on Good Day LA (June 22, 2011)
The Devil is in the details
"Hey." Spencer said after looking up from her books surprised to see her mother standing in her doorway.
"I made you some tea." Mrs. Hastings announced as she entered carrying the steaming cup.
"Oh." Spencer said further surprised at her mom's gesture. "Thanks." She took the beverage while her mom continued talking.
"Wren called to see how you and Melissa were."
"That was nice of him." Spencer replied quietly. She took a big sip more to stop herself from saying something that might alert her mom to the many recent encounters she had with Wren.
"It's a good thing your father didn't answer. He would have hung up. He's not as forgiving as I am."
She must already know. Spencer took another sip and prepared for the lecture she was about to get. Clearly the honeymoon period of being the daughter who was right about Ian instead of the complication was over.
"I thought your teachers gave you extensions on all of your homework."
"Oh, they did." Spencer said surprised that her mother was changing the subject from Wren completely. "but... exams are still next week."
"You work so hard. You always have." Wait, was that a compliment? More shocked, Spencer could not think of a thing to say. The silence stretched on, but then Veronica sat down next to her daughter and continued. "We made the arrangements for the funeral. There will be no frills. no flowers, and as far as I'm concerned, no tears." The attorney looked at her daughter for a long moment before speaking again. "Your father and I were very moved by your desire to do this for your sister."
"I just think she needs some kind of ceremony." Spencer replied uncomfortably at her mother's intense gaze and because this would make compliment number two. Surely this was building to some NBA player sized shoe to drop.
"You were right. We did need to do this." Spencer set her tea down so her mom could not see her hands beginning to shake because this was too much. No way, three compliments were going to go unbalanced. "I called the girls to see if they would come to the funeral to support you. It's the least I can do. I'm the one that separated you."
"Mom, it's okay." Spencer said reflexively.
"No, it's not. It's not okay that I allowed a monster in my house!" Spencer quickly looked at her mother. The pain and regret in her mother's voice were unmistakable and for once it was not because of something Spencer had done. "I know your father and I work a lot and you've had to fend for yourself more often than not. I also know that we didn't make it easy for you to think you could approach us with...situations." Spencer remained speechless. "Honey, I have to ask. That...situation with Ian. How far did...what happened?"
And here it was. Spencer felt her shoulders sag as she let out a sigh. At least this was familiar ground.
"It was nothing." Spencer said coldly while mentally preparing herself for yet another lecture.
"No please. Don't do that. Don't dismiss it. Don't be like me."
Spencer's eyes widened in shock. Of all the things she expected her mother to say-admitting a flaw had to be the absolute last.
"I was so wrong to dismiss whatever happened with you and Ian." Mrs. Hastings continued. "That's what I did by saying that you were "seeing" him." Tears began to prick at the normally stoic woman's eyes. "My god, Spencer, he was your sister's age, and you were what, barely fifteen?" Spencer looked down as she felt shame begin to redden her cheeks. Even though her mom was throwing her completely off by showing concern instead of condemnation, she could not help that Alison's voice calling her a skank was the first thing that popped into her mind. Her time with Ian had been short. And one upside of the drugs she had been taking, was that she did not remember their short time together vividly. She remembered enough if she tried hard but with all that was going on in her life, the time with Ian was easily forgettable.
"How far did he get?" Her mother asked gently. "You can tell me, and I promise I won't be mad...at least at you." She then took her child's hands into her own and suppressed a shudder at the thought that her daughter could easily have been the one they were planning a funeral for instead of Ian. And instead of Allison for that matter. It could have been Spencer on all those posters instead of Allison DiLaurentis. Looking at her now, she could not help but see her as her baby girl who used to hide under the dining room table during thunderstorms. She had coaxed her out by assuring her that the structure of the house was strong enough to withstand any storm and hiding under the table was unnecessary. Yet she welcomed a devil inside her home and dismissed her child's cries for help when that devil set his sights on her.
"Nothing that could have happened was in any way your fault." Veronica prodded when her daughter remained silent. "He was an adult who preyed on young girls." Mrs. Hastings looked down and shook her head as she continued recalling memories of Ian Thomas. "God, I remember seeing him with your sister and he always had that video camera. I didn't think anything of it."
"You couldn't have known." Spencer finally spoke quietly. "We didn't know he was filming us until recently."
Veronica Hastings then looked at her daughter for another long moment before speaking in what Spencer called her "lawyer voice."
"Spencer, did he force himself-
"No, mom, no!" The younger woman cut her off immediately knowing what her mother was going to say. "It didn't get that far." She then dropped her eyes again not wanting to see the disappointment her mother would not be able to hide once she heard more. "It was my fault too. I did like the attention. I liked that he wanted to be with me when he could have Melissa. And I knew that was wrong, but I didn't end it until…"
Spencer felt a gentle hand on her chin and then her mother tilted her head up. Surprisingly, there was no disappointment in her eyes, only love and understanding. She recognized the look despite it being such a long time since it was directed at her.
"Until what, honey?"
"It never went that far." Spencer rasped barely audibly. "But it almost did." She confessed.
"Please tell me."
Spencer turned away from her mother and immediately missed the warmth of her touch, but she could not continue with her mom looking at her. "We didn't hook up that much, but I was already starting to feel uncomfortable. He kept saying that it was so exciting that we had this secret and I thought so too at first." Spencer stopped talking and looked down at her clasped hands and shook her head. Those words had just poured out and she realized she had never spoken them to anyone. But despite their less than stellar relationship, talking to her mother about this did feel good and right. "But I don't know, the things he would also say didn't make me feel special. It made me feel..."
"Feel what, sweetheart?"
"Dirty." Spencer finally whispered. "He kept asking me questions like have I ever done this, or have I ever tried that, and it was always something sexual. I realize now that he was just a perv but at the time, I was stupid."
"No." Veronica interrupted strongly. "No, honey no. You are not stupid. You were not stupid then either. You were naive and young. And he counted on that. I was stupid. Stupid for not seeing it because I'm not young or naive. I'm your mother and I should have protected you."
"It's not your fault either, Mom. I hid it well and like you said, it was him. He's the one who should get all the blame." Spencer finally looked at her mother. "Not you...or me."
Veronica Hastings smiled proudly and in genuine awe of her youngest.
"I'm so proud of you, Spencer. You know that right?" Spencer nodded slowly because she did not know that. "And I'm sorry."
"Mom, it's really okay."
Veronica shook her head. "It's not okay that I didn't believe you, but I promise I will never do it again. Will you give me another chance?"
"Of course." Spencer replied as she happily fell into her mother's strong embrace.
"I love you so much, honey." She heard her mother say, and for the first time in a long time, Spencer truly felt safe and loved in her home.
The end
Author's Note: Again, I just felt like Spencer's parents should have been more freaked out to learn that the man who, at the time, was believed to have confessed to killing a teenage girl had spent a lot of time with their own teenage daughter intimately and then tried to kill her in the bell tower.