Aaron's favorite thing about his Uncle Caleb was that he worked from home, so he was always around to play. And his job really was about playing, since he often was asked to test video games for glitches and re-work coding. It also meant that the job of babysitter often fell on Caleb, for both Tabby and Aaron. And today, he would have both. Tabby was laying across the couch with her head dangling off the arm, singing loudly to herself. Caleb perked up when he heard a knock at the door, knowing Aaron was getting dropped off. Although two kids were a bigger responsibility, Caleb always liked having the two of them together better than just for him, they were more than happy to hang out together and kept themselves busy.

"We're gonna have ice cream cake!" Aaron yelled as he ran in towards Tabby.

"What?" Caleb laughed, narrowing his eyes and looking at him run towards his best friend.

"On your special day, not today," Spencer called after him and laughed with Caleb, walking past him towards his cupboard and taking a mug to steal some coffee. She could tell it was freshly brewed from the strong scent lingering even in the hallway just outside his door. "I reminded him last night that his birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and asked him what he wanted on his special day. Now I think he's under the impression every day is going to be his special day."

"Well if the ice cream cake is really happening you know I'll be there," Caleb teased.

"Like you wouldn't come anyway, you loser," she teased, taking a sip from her mug.

"You know that coffee habit is probably why you got such an energetic kid, right?" Caleb teased as Aaron kept running between the couch and the recliner, throwing himself against one before running to the other to do the same, making grunts and noises as he did so.

Spencer and Caleb both laughed a little. "Or why I feel like I've got a little old man for a son," she smiled. "He talks like a little grown-up."

"He's smart like his Mom," Caleb offered, kissing her hair. Hanna may have been her best friend through her pregnancy and even still today, with the exception of her son, but Caleb was the most protective of her, and Aaron. From the minute he had found out she was pregnant a switch flipped and he became the most affectionate watchdog over her.


Spencer sat on Hanna's bed, still trying to digest all that'd happened.

She told her parents about her baby, and told them it belonged to her new boyfriend at school — a boy that didn't exist. She may not like Toby right now, but after the time they'd shared together and the way he'd made her feel like a real person and made her feel more than a buzz of a high for the first time in what felt like years, and honestly may have been, she needed to protect him from her family.

And they kicked her out. She remembered when Melissa was engaged to her ex-fiancee, she had found herself pregnant out of wedlock, and her parents were supportive and heartbroken with her when she miscarried her baby. Although the circumstances were different, she thought they could be supportive after the initial blow. But instead, they'd told her that any promise of a future she'd had had disappeared, and that any illusion of capability she'd had was just that — and illusion. That her worth was now much less, and they wouldn't have it. So they kicked her out.

Now she'd been living out of a suitcase at Hanna's house for the last week and wanted desperately to stop being such a burden on the family who had an infant of their own. The only good part of this was that Ashley and Ted had just moved out of Rosewood, literally still unpacking, and so at least for right now she was out of the town that poisoned her.

Ashley insisted so long as she helped with the baby she could stay, telling her it would be good practice. But today, the reality set in that her parents weren't going to come around, even after letting it all sink in for a week. They didn't seem worried about her or their grandchild. They'd said hurtful things to her and validated her biggest fear — she had no worth; she was a failure. It was easy to brush off as a momentary thing, but after a week she was sure she wouldn't hear from them about it or about an apology. And all of it made her chest hurt.

Caleb came up the stairs and gleefully popped into the room, surprised to see Spencer on the bed and Hanna on the floor, reading from a magazine, showing Spencer pictures every so often but getting no response.

"Your mom let me up," he informed Hanna. "I thought you went back to school," He sat near Spencer.

"I'm not going back," Spencer mumbled. She was sitting pretzel-style, and was folding her upper half towards her ankles more and more with each interaction.

"What?! You're Spencer Hastings, you have to go back,"

"Caleb, leave her alone," Hanna warned.

"Come on Spence, lighten up," he playfully nudged her from his position on the bed near her side.

"Caleb, stop," Hanna's eyes were nearly popping out of her head.

"Geez, who died? What's going on with you both today?"

Hanna looked worried, and moreover like she was about to lie. Caleb knew the look and shot glaring eyes right back.

"Do you always have to be so God-damn no—"

"Hanna, it's not worth it," Spencer wanted them to stop fighting. She couldn't take everything falling to pieces around her any longer. "My parents kicked me out, so I'm here, and not going back to school." Spencer informed Caleb.

"She's just staying with us for a little while," Hanna said softly.

"Your thing with your parents will blow over," Caleb encouraged. "That's no reason to quit school. I'm sure your tuition for the year is paid already anyway. It's not like they can take it away from you."

"I'm not going back because I'm pregnant,"she looked up at him with vulnerable eyes and a shaky voice.

He initially darted backward away from her in shock, and her eyes darted back down towards her lap, feeling nauseous not from the baby inside of her, but because one of the very, very, very few men she respected — one of the only people she respected so much, looked at her like everyone else — disappointment. A Hastings' worst nightmare.

But his initial reaction only lasted momentarily, as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. "Spencer, I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault," she shrugged, leaning into his embrace and wanting to cry.

"The dad…?" He started, but stopped as Hanna violently shook her head 'no.'

"Who needs a dad, anyway? Hanna and I both turned alright without em, right?" he joked. "We'll take care of this lil guy,"

"Or girl," Hanna chimed in.

"Nah, it'll be a boy," he smirked. "Spence, you're gonna be alright. If anyone gives you a hard time, I'll make sure they regret it," he tightened grip around her and she started to cry into his jacket.

She was crying because he was so sweet, and was acting the way Toby should have. She was crying because the only person in this world her baby would have would be herself, and that wasn't fair and that wasn't enough.

"Hey, stop that," he laughed and rubbed her arm. "I mean it. Do you want me to go kick your dad's ass? Or the father's ass? I'll do it," he said enthusiastically.

"I know you would," she laughed. "And Hanna already offered to have you do so. But I don't want you getting in any trouble,"s he smiled and wiped her face. "I just don't want to impede on everyone's life. You and Hanna and Hanna's family…" she cut herself off, getting upset again.

"Well maybe it's that we want to impede on your situation," Hanna chimed in, joining her best friend and boyfriend on the bed. "Maybe between us there's enough broken pieces of a family that we can put them together to make a whole one."

"They do say that you can't choose your blood, but sometimes family is who you pick for yourself," Caleb sighed. "Hanna's mom let me in when I was living in the school after-hours. All of a sudden I had chores and dinner to come home to — they gave me a family and now we'll all do the same for you," Caleb smiled.

"I love you guys," Spencer's lip puffed out like she was going to cry again, overwhelmed by her best friends.

"And we love both of you," Hanna smiled.


"That is true," Spencer laughed. "For better or for worse," he was too smart for his own good. She sipped down the last of her coffee and put the mug in the sink. "Well if you can get anything out of him about what he wants for his birthday, clue me in? I asked him but he just kept insisting about the ice cream cake" She shrugged, wanting to make this the best birthday ever. Her baby was getting so big and this was probably the first birthday he'd actually remember.

"Will do," Caleb opened the door for her and then locked up and fed the kids breakfast and then went inside to do some work, leaving them to play.

Aaron and Tabby had been in the living room watching Nick Jr. when Aaron came shyly teetering into the room, sucking on his thumb and climbing up next to Caleb, who was working on his laptop, snuggling in.

"Hey buddy, whatcha doing?" He ruffled his hair. "Having fun with Tabster?"

"Tabby is in the potty," he explained. "We was watching Dora and Boots," he smiled a little, but looked a little sad. Boots was one of his favorite characters because he loved monkeys.

"Cool, bud," Caleb played along and closed his laptop. The little hint of sadness didn't go unnoticed by Caleb. "Do you want a snack? I think Auntie Han bought peanut butter cookies," he smiled, knowing the little boy's favorite treat.

"No," he sighed heavily, almost comically because what did a little boy his size have to be so exhausted about?

"What? Aaron doesn't want a cookie? Are you feeling okay?" He teased, feeling his head melodramatically. He wondered what was wrong.

Aaron pushed Caleb's hands off his face, pushing his hair off his forehead in frustration.

"Are you and Tabs fighting?" He offered.

"No," he was shy all of a sudden, clicking his feet together so the light-up part of his sneakers would go off.

"Well I'm going to get some cookies so you stay right here, okay? You can play with me for now," he said, not fully believing the toddler. He went to the kitchen and wrapped a few cookies in a napkin, handing two to Tabby on his way back. "Did something happen with Aaron?" he asked, the little girl now playing on the floor. She shook her head. "No, we were just playing and talking and watching Dora," she said shoving a cookie in her mouth.

"He's going to help me inside for a little bit," he said kissing her head and going back to Aaron, still sitting there mesmerized by his shoes.

"Are you sure you don't want one?" Caleb held up the napkin of cookies and extending his hand towards Aaron as he sat down. Aaron finally took one and barely nibbled at it.

"Mommy tells me your birthday is coming up. What are you gonna be? 10? 11? 22?" Caleb teased.

"Nooooo," Aaron laughed. "This many!" He said enthusiastically, shoving four fingers in Caleb's face.

"That's right," Caleb laughed, continuing the bit as if he didn't know Aaron's age. "I forgot. So, any idea what you want for your special day? Toys, or a movie, a game?" Caleb offered.

"What's a daddy?" Aaron said shyly, finally looking up at Caleb, his eyes filled with wonder and curiosity. It seemed like he was a little hesitant, as if he thought he might get in trouble for asking, like he'd said a dirty word.

"Uh…" Caleb's heart broke instantly, and he realized he really didn't know what to say. He knew the struggle of growing up without a father, but he also knew how much Spencer loved this little boy and how much she tried to shield him from that anguish — something he hadn't been lucky enough to be protected from. He knew Spencer would be heartbroken to know her efforts to protect him from this had somehow failed. "Well did you ask Mommy? What do you think a daddy is?"

"I think…the daddy is the guy who loves the mommy and all the kids and plays with them." He said innocently.

"Well that's part of it," Caleb encouraged.

"On Dora, Boots had a special day and he wanted to visit his daddy at work because his daddy works at the fair with all the games. Tabby said her daddy's work is boring." He scrunched his nose. "Maybe I see my daddy on my special day?"

"Where does Tabby's Daddy work? Do you remember?"

"Ted works at church" he smiled, knowing he got the right answer. Spencer quizzed him a lot to keep him sharp and reinforce positivity in learning.

"That's right, very good," he smiled at the perked up boy, hoping this would be the end of the conversation.

"Caleb are you my Daddy? Tabby says everybody has a daddy because babies come from daddies" He looked up with wide eyes again and Caleb's heart fell to his stomach.

"No, buddy. I'm your Uncle Caleb," he tried to say soothingly. "But you're my best little guy," he followed up quickly, tickling Aaron's sides. "You know that, right partner?"

Aaron wriggled out of the tickling range. "But daddies are the guys that love the mommies and the kids and you love Mommy and you love me," Aaron reasoned. "So you can be my Daddy, you can like the engine that could you think you can you think you can you think you can and then you can, you can by my Daddy," Aaron encouraged, talking as if it were that easy to rationalize. He liked to 'read' to his Mommy, which meant he memorized books read to him and then held the book while he recited what he memorized. His latest favorite was The Little Engine That Could.

"I do love Mommy, and I love you very much. But…I'm not your Daddy. You don't get to pick," he tried to talk smoothly like he'd seen Spencer rationalize with him as if he were an adult so many times before.

Aaron's eyes started to well up, "So my Daddy is missing? I have no daddy? But Tabby said everybody has a daddy" he started to whimper.

Caleb didn't know what to do except for envelope the little guy, rubbing his back. "You have a Mommy, and Tabby and Ashley and Ted, and Auntie Hanna and me and Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Melissa and Cousin Taylor, and all your friends at daycare," he reasoned. "You are a very loved little boy," he smiled. "And you're my best friend," he offered, "But don't tell Auntie Han," he started to tickle the boy and he stayed put on his chest, still sniffling, but started to laugh a little bit.

He let Aaron lay on him, heartbroken for the little boy and equally heartbroken for Spencer's reaction to this. He knew he had to tell her, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy.

After a long while, Aaron fell asleep on Caleb's chest, and usually Caleb would go put him on the bed, but today he just held him, never wanting his little bud to feel unloved or like he was missing something again.

Spencer knocked on the door again in the afternoon to get Aaron. When Caleb opened the door she saw Tabby and Aaron knocking toy cars into each other and making sound effects. Caleb pulled Spencer by the arm into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" She laughed, reaching for the doorknob. "Hanna let it go before but I don't think she'll be happy to find us in here," she laughed,

"Spencer, I uh, have to talk to you."

"Is everything okay?" Spencer folded her arms across her chest. "Did you ask Hanna yet?"Her eyes lit up.

"No…this isn't about Hanna. It's about, well. Your family, I guess."

"What?"She looked baffled, assuming he meant her parents.

"Today…I asked Aaron about his birthday like you asked me to, and uh, he asked me if he could have a Daddy for his special day…he thought I was his Dad because he said I love him and you and that's what Daddies do…and that's true but I'm not… and he was a little sad earlier. I think you need to talk to him. I tried, but—"

Caleb was interrupted by the immediate sobbing bursting from Spencer's face, her hands grabbing onto the counter for support as she crumpled into herself, unable to handle it.

"Spencer, it's okay…" He rubbed her shoulder and closed the lid of the toilet so she could sit down. He crouched down in front of her. "Hey, this doesn't mean he's not okay or that you're not a good mom or even that Toby deserves anything…he's just curious. You know that." He cooed, but Spencer just sank forward with her head between her knees, hiccuping for air and having a full-blown panic attack.

"I…can't…breathe…" She said between short breaths. Caleb reached around and opened the window to get some air in.

"Yes, you can," he rubbed her back. "Just try to do it slowly," he stayed calm. This wasn't the first time he'd done so.


"Why are you two so miserable every time I want to do anything with the both of you together? Can't you get along?!" Hanna was upset.

"Hanna!" Echoed from downstairs. "Just work it out," Hanna barked. A disgruntled Hanna then marched downstairs to her mother.

"We have to stop this," Caleb frowned. "We have to just tell her so we can both get the weight off," He came closer to Spencer, but she flinched back and started crying the second he started talking.

"I can't, I can't do this. I can't…I can't breathe," she gasped for air.

"Just try breathing slower," Caleb tried to be gentle. Spencer's sobs were growing louder and Hanna would be back any minute.

"She's…my…best…best friend," Spencer got out between hyperventilating breaths. "She won't forgive me,"

"She's going to forgive you because you're best friends," Caleb reassured her.

"I just don't think it's a good idea to talk about it," Spencer took a deep breath and regained her ability to talk, but her face still spewing tears and turning red. Caleb stayed quiet for a long time rubbing circles across her spine, trying to calm her down before continuing.

"Spencer, she's already annoyed she thinks we can't be in the same room together and thinks we hate one another because we're so busy tiptoeing around the truth. We have to just tell her so we can relax and actually be around one another. She's upset and we're not great and it'll all be better after we have the conversation."

"And say what?! Hey Han, just so you know I fucked your boyfriend before you started going out, but don't worry he didn't let anything happen after he decided to start courting you. Don't worry about it being awkward or about residual feelings because there never were any, that's why he was fucking me but ended up dating you," she said both sarcastically and hysterically, letting out too much of her own bitterness and sadness over the situation than she'd meant to.

Caleb took a deep breath and swiped his fingers through his hair, not knowing what to do. Spencer continued to whimper, wiping her eyes and trying to calm down, now feeling embarrassed by her admissions.

"I hurt you, didn't I?" he asked while keeping himself calml despite the knot forming in his stomach as to not end up yelling at the crying girl beside him.

"I know you didn't mean to," she said softly. "I just wish you wouldn't've been so nice to me if you never wanted to date me. It's like a mind-game."

"Why wouldn't I have been nice?" He furrowed his brow.

"Because normally guys who just want to screw me don't bother to be nice or talk even. You let me stay and everything,"

"Spencer, just because I wanted Hanna, it doesn't mean I don't like you or don't care about you. You're cool. You're my friend. So what, we had sex? We can still be friends. You're great, and I'm sorry guys have treated you so poorly in the past and that changed your perception of what went on between us…"

Spencer started crying again for different reasons this time. Someone she'd slept with had finally seen her worth for more than the sex. Even if he didn't choose her in the end.

"I didn't mean to yell at you," she apologized. "I guess it just hurt my feelings a little bit because it felt like you just wanted to stop having meaningless sex and date someone, and you didn't even consider me good enough to date even though we'd been fooling around. I was only good for the sex part."

"I didn't mean to make you feel that way… I just wanted to be honest. I'd had a crush on Hanna for a long time and she finally started to pay attention. It's not that you weren't good enough, I just was into someone else. It's shitty I ever started anything with you, I know. I just didn't think it'd be serious."

"I know," she nodded. "You're one of the best guys I've ever met…they could make a fortune making guys like you in production. We'd bottle you and call it 'essence of good boyfriend,'"she laughed through her tears, still hiccuping a bit for air.

Spencer sensed an anxious look on his face. "If Hanna gets mad at one of us, it's going to be me, don't worry. She likes you too much to let you go," she tucked her hair behind her ear. She'd realized she didn't even want to date Caleb, they didn't have that spark. She just fell in love with what it felt like to be touched in a nonsexual way, to be comforted and held, and to feel worthy. She realized now she should have had that all along. It wasn't something special Caleb had, but a lack of respect the others had.

"She's going to be fine," Caleb repeated. "We didn't do anything wrong. She's just going to be happy her best friend and her boyfriend can finally hang out in the same room without coming off like we're avoiding one another like the plague," he cracked a goofy smile. "And Spencer, I never wanted you to feel like we couldn't still be friends or hang out or not be awkward with one another just because we slept together and now we're not doing that anymore. I want us to be able to be good friends. I like being your friend," he smiled.

"I like being your friend too," she said shyly. "I wasn't avoiding you, I just didn't think boys ever wanted to be just friends."

They heard Hanna coming back down the hall and Spencer wiped her tears and Caleb moved over from her a bit.

"Are you two finally playing nice?" Hanna put her hands on her hips. "I can't take you guys' attitudes anymore,"

"We actually have something we wanted to tell you," Caleb looked at Spencer reassuring and back at Hanna.

Everything was going to be fine.


"Put your head between your knees," he encouraged, remembering it helping in the past.

"I'm not ready to let Toby in," she finally was able to let out, staring at the pinkish bathroom floor tiles.

"You don't have to." Caleb reassured. "But you have to let Aaron understand that his Dad didn't leave you guys because of him, or that having a Mommy without a Daddy isn't a bad thing. He probably just feels different than Tabby and his daycare friends,"

"How did this happen?" She started crying again. "How did I get here?"

"Spence, you're a good mom. You're the best mom."

"Then why do I feel so low?"

"Because you care about that boy more than you've ever cared about anything else. He's your entire world and I knew me telling you he was even a little upset was going to be hard for you. But he's fine. You saw him, playing with Tabs. I should have been paying more attention. Apparently on their show Boots had a special day and chose to see his Dad. Aaron was probably already curious and then we kept asking about his special day. I should have paid more attention and turned it off when I saw it was a Dad episode."

"It's not like we could have kept it a secret that dads exist," she whimper-laughed.

"I talked to him, but I just think you should, too. I'm not his Mommy. I'm just Uncky." He teased Aaron's pronunciation.

She nodded and wiped her face. "He really thought you were his Daddy?" She laughed a little.

"He said I could be because I love you guys, and when I tried to explain that that isn't how it works, he said that I could if I tried like the Little Engine. He's too cute and smart. I don't know how he's only turning four."

Spencer smiled and bit her lip. He was a cutie. But it also made her want to cry again because of his hope.

She took one final deep breath, definitely more sad but less hysterical now. Caleb took this as a sign to open the door but Spencer stopped him and gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for being that guy," she smiled. "A good guy. Not just with me. For being so good to Aaron he could even think you were a dad. And for him to know you love him and you love me. You take good care of us. And you don't have to, but you do."

"Who else would I play Mario with? You and Hanna suck, and Tabs gets bored after five seconds," He teased and squeezed back, kissing her hair. "You know I've got you,"

After a few seconds their moment was interrupted by little hands banging on the door.

"Mommaaaaa, Uncky Caleb!" Aaron pounded joined by Tabby banging a toy car against the door "Spencerrrrr and Calebbb, Spencer and Caleb come out and play," she chanted.

They opened the door and Aaron's whole face lit up seeing his Mommy and jumped on her so she could pick him up and give him big hugs. "I love you buddy," she pushed back his hair.

He laughed and gave her a big, wet kiss. "Mommy today I had fun and got to be Uncky Caleb's partner," he said excitedly. "I wish you was here so we could all be partners today,"

"Wow, I'll be here next time. Did you do a good job?" She said enthusiastically. Tabby had now taken to somehow getting Caleb to sit so she could put clips in his hair.

Spencer laughed looking over at them. "I did good Momma," he held on around her neck tight.

"That's my boy," she bounced him.

"Can we stay with Tabby and Caleb for a few more minutes?" He said holding up six fingers.

"You've got six minutes, mister," she put him down and sat next to Caleb, holding his hand.


Toby spent most of the day at work, and his phone had died on the job. Finally after going out for drinks after work, he got home and plugged in his phone.

After a few moments the screen lit up, 11:02 decorating the screen.

All of a sudden his phone started blowing up with banner notifications. Six missed calls and two voicemails from Spencer. He didn't even listen to them, just called back, forgetting it was late.

She answered on the first ring. "Can you come over?"


S/O To the guest who called it being Caleb! How are you all liking the Spaleb action? More Toby to come next chapter :-)