Disclaimers: I do not own PLL or the characters.
Spoilers: None
Rating: K+
Notes: Hey, guys! It's been a while. I would like to apologize for that. Honestly, I have not been on here in a while. I have been spending more time with my family instead on my laptop/on here. I do have the next chapter complete, and hopefully, it will not be as long for the next update.
Enjoy! :)
*Hand holding* – *June 1991; Spencer: 16 months old, Aria: 15 months old*
It is no surprise that Spencer Hastings walked a full month before her first birthday. She is Hastings, after all. Aria, however, takes her time. She enjoys leisurely crawling around or even scooting on her butt.
Both toddlers are already best friends. Spencer and Aria use sign language to communicate fully, even with each other. Though Aria is not picking up as quickly as Spencer, and it is absolutely precious when Spencer "teaches" her friend something.
For example, today they are working on the sign for "teddy bear". They are in the playpen outside, while the guys (Byron & Peter) are getting the grill cleaned off for their cookout tonight.
"Bear!" Ella hears Spencer squeal. "Ar! Bear!"
Ella comes over and bends down next to the playpen.
"Are you showing Ari the bear, sweetie?"
Even now, 16 months later, she just cannot stop looking at her beautiful daughter. Ella has it all now; a loving husband, a wonderful baby girl, a house in the perfect neighborhood, which just so happens to be her best friend's house, as well.
And her best friend's daughter, Spencer, seems to already have the perfect friendship with Aria. Ella even has her dream job – a Professional Photographer.
To her question, Spencer nods.
"Bear!" The toddler Hastings points to her teddy bear, light brown and pink, with her name on its belly, and her date of birth on its left paw.
"Bear!" Spencer makes the sign for it, which is just crossing your arms over your chest diagonally, and then opening and shutting your fingers in the form of "claws." "Ar, bear!"
Aria looks on intently, and then tries to copy. But she just simply does "claw" hands, rawring in response. Ella watches as Spencer giggles, throwing her head back and toppling over backwards which winds Aria up, and ends with both of them filling the backyard with the ever so welcome "baby" giggles.
After they catch their breath, Spencer moves closer.
"I touch?" She asks because her parents, and Ella and Byron, have been teaching the two toddlers about "touch permission", which means you ask someone before you touch their arm, back, or hand, or before you hug them, hold their hand, and so on.
They didn't expect either girl to really understand until at least three or four, or even five years old, but are all surprised that Aria and Spencer have caught on so well, considering they only turn a year old in April and March, respectively.
Even so, Aria nods to the question Spencer asked, so the younger Hastings places her hands on Aria's tiny ones, holding them, and moving them to the correct position.
"Bear!"
No one knows that the hand-holding will become such a big thing with the two of them.
*July 1991; Spencer: 17 months old, Aria: 16 months old*
"Go-go, Ar!"
Spencer cheers it as she stands beside her mom and Byron while Peter and Ella are at the other side of the living room.
Aria is getting ready to take her first steps, but she seems hesitant. So, Ella decides to try something.
"Spence, come over here, sweetie. Help Ari. Can you do that?"
Spencer eagerly runs over and asks for "permission" to hold Aria's hand. The younger baby girl obliges, and, with the help and support of her best friend, 16-month-old Aria Montgomery takes her very first steps.
"Look at you, Big Girl!" Ella cheers as Veronica steadies the video camera. Ella quickly moves over next to her best friend and husband, while Peter walks alongside both toddlers.
"Go-go, Ar!" Spencer cheers again. They are walking slowly, and it is an absolute precious sight. Since Spencer began walking before she turned 1, she is a bit more stable, but they still stumble and fall after a few steps. Aria is startled and begins crying, and of course, Spencer goes into protective mode immediately.
"Aw, Ar, no cwy!" She sits down beside her best friend, still holding her hand. "No, cwy." She pats Aria's hand gently, then hugs her. Veronica continues filming, smiling at her youngest daughter.
After a few moments, Aria shakes it off, and she is ready to start trying again. Spencer tries to get to laugh by doing what her mommy and daddy do.
"Poke!" She taps Aria's nose. "Poke nose!"
Just as expected, Aria shrieks in giggles, which Spencer soon joins in on. Peter gets in on the fun, poking both noses at once.
This is it. This is his life. A beautiful wife, two wonderful daughters… He wouldn't change it for the world.
Once they babies are finished with their giggling session, Aria stands up, and of course, Spencer is there to hold her hand. The two toddlers take it one step at a time until…
"Mamma!"
They reach Ella, who happily, and tearfully, sweeps her baby girl into a hug.
"Look at you, Big Girl! Mama's so proud!"
*September 1993; Spencer: 3 years old, Aria: 3 years old*
Today has come so quickly.
Both little girls, although still considered toddlers, are now 3 years old, and are going to Preschool.
All four parents are here. They are all uneasy, each wanting to just scoop their baby up and take them back home.
Peter and Veronica are doing just a little better than Ella and Byron, though. This is because Spencer is their second child. Melissa, now nine, is in the fourth grade. But, they do remember how fast this moment came with her.
"Okay, here is how it will be." Veronica takes charge, knowing that if she does not, neither couple would be saying goodbye to their 3-year-old toddler today.
"We are going to walk them inside. We will take them to their classrooms. We will double-check that the teachers know about Aria's peanut allergy. We will say goodbye and give Spencer and Aria a kiss, and then…"
She turns to face her husband and best friends, all who are looking at her as if they want a certain thing to come out of her mouth, but also know that it will not happen.
"And then, we will turn around and walk away."
Spencer looks up at her mommy then over to her best friend, to where she is hiding behind her daddy's leg. She is nervous about this. She has stayed home with her parents and Aria since they were both born. She is worried the other kids might not like her, or that the teachers will be mean, especially to Aria…
But, she looks at her best friend and even now, at three, she can see that Aria is more nervous and scared than she is. Aria is growing up to be a shy little girl. She speaks and laughs and dances at home but outside, anywhere else, and Spencer has noticed that her best friend always looks as if she is going to cry.
Right now, however, Spencer walks over, holds a hand out, and says,
"Come on, Ar! We can do dis!"
She gives her the Hastings Smile©. Aria, with one hand's thumb in her mouth, takes Spencer's hand with the other. The little girl, older than only one month, squeezes her hand in reassurance, then nods to herself, pushing down her own nervousness in preparation to help or be protective of her girl.
"We're wedy, Mommy!"
And, although she will not understand it until much, much later in her life, she sees her Auntie Ella wipe away some tears, and her daddy smiling proudly, and her mommy nodding, also.
Together, the four parents follow their toddlers inside the building. This is the start of a new chapter in their lives. They can no longer do whatever, whenever. Their babies are in school now. They will be four next year, the year after that, five and in Kindergarten.
But for now, they are going to just sit back and watch as the friendship between their daughters continues to develop into a beautiful, magical thing.
*April 1995; Spencer: 5 years old, Aria: 5 years old*
5 years have come and gone. The party is small this year. They learned their lesson for Aria's fourth birthday party last year when they invited all of her classmates. It ended in tears during the Happy Birthday song, Aria too petrified to even open up her gifts, and she never left Ella's side the entire time.
So, this year, it is simple the parents, Melissa, Spencer, Aria, and of course, Aria's little brother, Mike, who is turning 3 years old next month. Ella and Byron think, because it is just them, that maybe singing this year will go better.
Happy Birthday to you!–
Unfortunately, the singing is cut short when Aria immediately runs off. Ella sighs as she and Byron share a look, and then watch as Spencer chases after her.
They are both thinking the same thing…
The dumbass doctor is wrong; this is not normal, and Aria will never grow out of her dislike of having attention put onto her.
"Ari!" Spencer runs around to the backyard after her best friend. She finds her hiding in their treehouse. Climbing up the ladder, Spencer makes her way quickly to the frightened little girl. "Aw, Ari, you're ok!"
As she scoots closer, she sees that Aria is crying, so she asks, "Can I give you a hug?" But, Aria shakes her head, so she asks, instead, "Can I hold your hand?" Spencer holds her own hand out so that Aria can let her know the answer without actually speaking. She is rewarded by the younger Birthday Girl placing her own hand into hers.
"It'll be ok, Ari!" Spence whispers as she pats her best friend's hand. "I know it's scary. Parties are sometimes loud and it makes you nervous!" She nods to her own words. "But, it will all be ok. How 'bout we stay up here til you're feelin' better?"
Aria nods slowly, and so, the two 5-year-olds do exactly that, staying in the Treehouse, holding hands, and just quietly enjoying the nice spring air.
*July 1998; Spencer: 8 years old, Aria: 8 years old*
"Come on, Ar!" Spencer pulls on Aria's hand, tugging her to the backyard. It is finally summer, they have arrived back from their vacation, and the parents are all off of work for two weeks.
That means, Aria is finally going to try riding a bike without training wheels for the first time. Ella and Byron have tried several times over the past few years, but Aria is just too anxious to actually do it. They are pretty sure she knows how; she wanted to try for the first time for their sixth birthday, when Spencer learned how to.
But she is just too nervous or anxious to take her own bike and follow Spencer to the park that is in the center of their gated community, where they live. So, to make it easier, they are going to practice in the driveway that loops around to the backyard.
The road is paved enough that Aria can practice without worrying about being seen, because knowing or thinking that someone or people are watching just makes her anxiety worse.
"Ar, come on, Daddy is over there!"
Spencer points to where their parents are.
"Will you help me, Spencie?" Aria asks shyly. Spencer nods enthusiastically.
"Of course! Come on!" Hands linked, Spencer leads her over to their bikes. Spencer's is light brown and pink and has some teddy bear stickers on the bars. Aria's bicycle is pink and black themed, with shiny pink and white streamers on the handle bars.
"It is very simple once you learn how to balance," The younger Hastings states. "When you can balance, then you just peddle like with training wheels and, viola! You can ride the bike!"
Spencer drags her bike over while Byron is taking off the training wheels on Aria's own bicycle.
"See? You get on the bike, then you put your feet on the ground, so that you will not fall over." Spencer gets on, gradually, one step at a time, making sure Aria is watching. "Then, you put one foot on the peddle, and balance with your other foot."
It is easy for Spencer to be able to it. Now, at least. She has been riding without training wheels for almost two years (it took her several months to master the skill).
"Then, you slowly… put your other… foot up… like this…" She slowly puts her other foot onto the peddle, moving them in a circular motion, which moves the bike forward. "See!" She turns the handles, circling her best friend and uncle, once, twice…
"I wanna do that, Daddy!" Aria exclaims, now much more motived to learn. Byron is thrilled, especially when Aria insists he be the one to help her.
It goes as it usually does "don't let go!" turns into "okay, Daddy, you can let go, now!"
Spencer peddles along side her, yelling out commands of how to balance and when not to turn the handle and how to brake. Aria only falls off once and, in pure excitement, is able to get right back on the bike.
It will take a while, maybe a week or so, but eventually, Aria will be able to ride around like a pro. For now, the adults sit on their back deck listening to their children's laughter.
*September 2003; Spencer: 13, Aria: 13*
This is it. Their first day of Junior High. Since seventh grade was in the middle school, which was on campus with the Elementary school, this will be their first time moving schools.
Both girls are nervous, though Aria is much more anxious. She's worried for the last several days, and this morning had a tearful anxiety attack that consisted of her almost throwing up and her begging Ella and Byron to let her stay home.
Unfortunately, today is Wednesday, and though it is the third day of school, it is the her first because Ella and Byron let her stay home yesterday and Monday. Spencer attended Monday and Tuesday wanting to get to know the teachers, and be able to navigate her way around the school.
She made notes of which teachers were nice to shy students, and those who seemed particularly mean. Spencer also took note of the best place to sit in the Cafeteria, where to sit in the Library, and in other classes.
Ella drops them off, while Byron, Veronica, and Peter drop the younger kids off at school. Mike is now 11 and in the sixth grade while Melissa and Spencer's younger siblings — two sisters — are at the Elementary School.
On Wednesday, they get their 15 minutes early. Ella walks inside with Spencer and Aria. She goes to the Office with them and asks for Aria's schedule. Due to the 504 Plan that Aria has, her entire schedule lines up with Spencer.
Ella and the girls stand in the Office after looking over Aria's schedule.
"Come on, Ari," Spencer encourages. She holds out her hand. "We can do it, you and me. I will be right there beside you the whole time."
And slowly, though she is chewing her lip anxiously, Aria places her hand in the younger Hastings's palm. Ella calls out a goodbye to them and watches as they make their way down the hallway to their Homeroom class, where rollcall and lunch orders will be taken.
*May 2007; Spencer: 17, Aria: 17*
Their Junior year of High School, Spencer asks Aria out on their first date. Things with Aria's anxiety is getting better. They have a name for it, now.
Selective Mutism.
It is defined as "a childhood anxiety disorder which makes difficult speaking in one more or more settings (school, in public, etc.) despite being able to speak freely in other settings (at home, with family, etc.)".
They are 17 now. And Spencer first confessed her love two years ago, at age 15. It took several months for Aria to work through the anxiety and difficulty of speaking the words to let Spencer know she returned that love, but she did.
They keep their relationship at secret at school, not wanting any unnecessary attention. Though Aria is speaking to a few people now — the Librarian, and a couple of teachers — she still absolutely hates attention being put upon her. And being in a romantic relationship with another girl will certainly draw interest.
However, now it is May. They will be finishing up Junior year soon but for right now, this night, here at this very moment…
Spencer knocks on their bedroom door. Since they live together she cannot just drive up to the house and pick up Aria; they have to improvise.
*knock, knock*
Aria opens the door. She looks beautiful. A red tank top, jean shorts, and white sandals. Her hair is curled and pulled back slightly with a little makeup accenting her eyes, and of course, the charm bracelet that Spencer gave her on her tenth birthday.
"W-Wow," Spencer finally gets out, her mouth having gone dry. "You looked… so pretty." Even though this is a "normal" look on Aria, something about the makeup, curly hair, and the color red makes her look… beautiful.
Aria smiles shyly, looking at Spencer. The older girl is wearing their matching vacation t-shirt from last year (Gulf Shores-themed), jean capris, and flip flops. She is knocked from her thoughts by Spencer holding out of her hand.
"Ready to go?"
She takes her hand and they go downstairs. Now, you may think that Ella and Byron, and Veronica and Peter, would make a big deal out of this, since it is both girls' first date. But, Aria still has a major dislike of attention or big deals being made, so, they agreed to tone it back.
A simple, "Be safe out there, love you!" is all they get. They shuffle each other out of the room, and Spencer grabs Aria's jacket from the closet.
"Here, Love. It is supposed to be chilly tonight." Once they have their purses, Spencer opens the door for her and holds her hand all the way to the car. She opens that door, gesturing to the seat. "Your seat, Madame."
"You're a goof." Aria giggles quietly.
They drive to Philly to eat a Diner which serves Vegan food. And hold hands the entire time.
"This is actually pretty good." Spencer comments as she tries the vegan entrée they had ordered.
"I told you so!" is whispered quietly, and it makes her stick her tongue out.
Afterwards, they go a Baskin Robbins. This is a special location because it serves vegan ice cream and toppings. That means Aria can get whichever flavor she wants. After that, they go to the park to enjoy the last few minutes of sunlight before going to the Movie Theatre.
Overall, their first date goes amazingly, and, would you believe it?
They held hands the entire time.
Well, it's been a while. I sort of forgot about this story (oops). I have been working on my Criminal Minds story, and that took precedence over my other ones. I hope you enjoyed this one. It was pretty long and was a lot of fun to do.
Please review and let me know what you thought! :) Shoutout to Momma Duck. I can't wait to do what we discussed with this story!