This chapter follows along 7x06 and has some dialogue taken from the show. It's mostly the Spaleb scene from that episode since I didn't want to cut it out nor did I feel the need to write my own version since it fits.

Spencer stands in Heathrow with her plane ticket back to Philadelphia in her hand, looking at Wren with a feeling she isn't used to feeling with him. It won't be long before she's home and dropping her stuff in the barn so she can deal with whoever A.D. happens to be. There's a nice sense of being in his presence where having another psycho stalker simply doesn't matter. It certainly didn't matter when they woke up that morning with his arms wrapped around her in a safety net that she needs after everything with Rollins.

That and she's not ready to face the music with her friends.

"Thank you," she finally manages to speak, "For this."

"You know you're welcome anytime. I mean it just as much as I did back then."

"I know." She smiles softly. It's the best she can offer him and when he smiles in return it doesn't feel like everything's falling apart. It's one second in a world of many seconds. She reaches for his hand and grasps it with her own, giving a gentle squeeze. It's ridiculous the way she's acting and there's a part of her that knows she is just as ridiculous with Caleb. Just the mere thought of him causes her to swallow and try to fight back emotions that threaten to overwhelm her. "This wasn't just some dumb comfort thing. I wasn't using you."

"I know, Spencer." He steps forward just enough so little space remains. "You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"You've always deserved better than me dumping my messes on you when things get too hard." Her habit spans years but he never manages to complain. He only accepts her with open arms and this time an open bed. Wren is there when no one else is and when she needs to run away from her friends. If she actually leaned on them in her darker moments maybe things would become less complicated for her. Yet, it's his hand she's reluctant to let go of. "If you ever need to run away from super shitty London," she lets out a soft laugh, "you know where Rosewood is."

"Call me when you land." Is all he manages to whisper before kissing her in the crowd of people.

She falls into him and ends up wrapping her arms around him, keeping him close, needing him close. Kissing him is always one of her favorite things to do. From when she was sixteen in her bedroom to twenty-three standing in the middle of the airport. He's comfort. "You should leave before you're late for work."

"Just one more minute."

"One more minute." She kisses him again in a way that makes her feel like the teenager who can't get enough. Only now she isn't questioning herself or worrying. She's just being. Yes, she's not broken up with Caleb but they will break up before the end of the week. She can feel it even if he's not saying anything. Hanna's feelings are very real and she doesn't want to be in the middle. It hurts in ways she can't explain but it's for the better. As she kisses Wren she knows it's all for the better.

Spencer sleeps the entire flight back just so she doesn't need to think about everything that's happened since she went back to Rosewood. It's the right thing for her to go back now but there's a feeling she has inside of her that makes her wish to stay in London with Wren just so she can hide from all of her messes. They are her messes, one she put on herself, things she can't deny and blame on others. She knows she did this all to herself but none of it hurts any less. She can't run forever. She can't leave them to deal with A.D. all their own. A.D. would probably realize she's missing and track her down. Putting Wren and her friends in more danger simultaneously is not something she can do.

But as she parks her car in front of her house, glancing over at Alison's where she can see the lights are on does she wish she was back in a place where her problems didn't exist. The sadness finds her all too easily and she doesn't bother to do anything but walk behind the wall and look around at how empty everything is.

As a kid she used to wonder why her parents bothered with such a big estate that has the stupid brick wall barring them from actually being neighbors to anyone. The house, the barn, the pool, the hot tub, and all the empty space none of them ever bother to use. Even as she stands there it's only her. Her parents are out of town per their usual and Melissa lives in London. It's just her as she walks through the empty space and into the barn where everything is exactly as she left it.

She drops her bag on the floor as she walks towards the kitchen. Wine. She needs wine. If she's going to exist in there she needs wine. Her phone goes off before she makes it towards the wine bottle she desires, all but jumping out of her own skin at the noise. That old habit is back and she really, really could do without it. Could do without all of this.

[ anonymous; 6:58 PM ]: One, two, three. He's yours. Maybe this one won't leave you for someone better. - A.D.

Knowing that A.D. knows about her and Wren is the least surprising thing to happen to her. There's a certain predictability to it that makes her think she would be more surprised if A.D. has no clue. The message does more than alert her to the fact that her little tryst with Wren is anything but a secret. She repeats the words in her mind over and over again. Someone better. Yvonne is better for a lot of reasons and Toby is happy. She's happy he's happy. It's what he deserves knowing they did not manage to work out and never found their way back together. Hanna is Hanna.

The insecurity she feels with Hanna is new. It didn't exist before she found herself falling with Caleb. Something that should have been a warning sign but wasn't. It's Hanna. She's pretty and she's blonde. She has boobs and a body that is more than just a straight shot down the line. She smiles so brightly and Spencer can't. She just can't smile lately. So much so she's not entirely sure when it started. Months before she got to Rosewood, maybe years?

Some time between the son of the ambassador and Caleb, she guesses. Not that she put much into that...relationship is a bad word for it. Sex is a better one. He was a distraction so she didn't need to think about how much she really wanted Caleb. He was nice and they got on well. The sex was good until she got the letter from Alison, and everything fell apart as quickly as it started. She doesn't mind. It's not like he meant anything more than someone to warm her bed for a few hours. It's just that if she knew she'd end up having less with Caleb maybe he'd warm her bed for a while longer.

She tries to decide what her and Caleb actually mean. She loves him but he doesn't love her. The sting that comes with that causes her to let out a shaky breath. She is tired of being sad about it. Maybe it was just another form of sex. Maybe he was using her the way she used others. That makes it sadder and makes her far more stupid than she's ever felt. It doesn't matter in the end. Caleb got what he wanted and he'll inevitably find his way back to Hanna. Spencer got what she wanted to a certain extent. If nothing else an attempt was made and it's falling apart. It's the only silver lining she can find.

It's better than leaving the road untraveled.

Not as if she can even have any sort of moral high horse. She doesn't. Caleb kissing Hanna isn't the source of her pain. Maybe an anger that exists that will pass sooner than later. She won't stay mad at Hanna forever, doesn't even want to. Just for now. Probably not for long when she sees her. She covered for her with Wren and that's something that almost clears the air between the two.

Their little secret.

Wren's always been something of a secret. She doesn't really know what to make of that but it's the truth. It's always so hidden away between the two of them. One time out in the open and Melissa found out anyway, along with Charlotte or Toby or whoever locked her in that damn shower. Even now, as she stares at the bottle of wine, he's nothing more than a secret. Something that is for her only. It's not that she minds. There's something nice about having him that is just hers and hers alone. It's just that the comfort she felt from him is gone and she misses it.

Misses him if she's being honest. Wren is always there when she needs him even when she's being a bitch about it. That's not unusual. When it comes to Wren she only uses him for her own gain and when she flew to London she can't even say it was any different. He understands as he usually does but they crossed a line. A line that sits with her as she thinks about how good he felt and how content she feels standing there, like some part of her is sated for the time being.

[ Spencer; 7:03 PM ]: I'm home. I didn't want to wake you. I'll call you tomorrow.

She sets her phone down on the counter then only to decide she doesn't actually want the wine at all. She wants to sleep and forget so many things exist. She doesn't know what that makes her, what any of this makes her. Not when she's finding a lost comfort in her sister's ex-fiance. A man Melissa arguably knows better than Spencer does. Only Wren is good to her. He doesn't push her to talk. He gives her nearly anything she wants when she wants it. The only thing that managed to hang between them was her own issues and confessions to him. Confessions he took in stride and only seemed to judge her minimally for. She's not even entirely certain as to why she bothered to tell him either. Not as if things exist between them that makes her feel like she needs to.

There's just a different sense between them that never existed between Caleb or Toby. She is able to sit there and be while he reads her. Happened from the first time they met and continues as she really thinks she wants to call him. She won't. Not when it's late in England and she disrupted his pattern as it is. There's just still so much more she should tell him. So many secrets that make her Spencer. Secrets that a guy she slept with a few times doesn't need to know and yet, she finds a worry overcome her that maybe he will hate her for more of her secrets.

She doesn't know when she became someone who cares about what guys think of her. Maybe it was after Toby or after Caleb...the only two relationships in her life she would attach a serious label to. They both damaged her in ways she will never recover from and ways that will forever haunt her. When she and Toby broke up for good it was the right thing, but their relationship would always leave a scar. A scar permanently left behind from the reason they broke up in the first place. Maybe that is her punishment. Ridding them of a child they weren't ready for. There's no regret she feels but she doesn't feel regret for much anymore. Isn't even that regretful over burying Rollins' body. Karmic punishment feels real.

Her entire life seems to be some kind of karmic punishment. From the time she was fourteen she was doing stupid things that only ended up getting her in more trouble. Ian wasn't even the first mistake. He was just the first mistake in a line of many that make her the person she is today. In some way it seems like they all got exactly what they deserve.

Every day it feels like a new battle to get out of bed, to breathe, to shower, to eat, to do anything. What's it all for? To get stalked by someone else? That part of her life she can do without. When it's not being stalked it is getting those sympathetic looks from Aria and Emily, it is her parents asking too many questions she doesn't know how to answer, not to mention the looks she gets from both Hanna and Caleb like they share something she's unaware of.

She's too aware of them.

The barn seems smaller the longer she stands there and looks around. She walks over to the bed and notices all the little things that are Caleb are gone. The closet is empty and the picture with that stupid little dog is on the bed. She picks it up as she sits and gets lost staring in it. In a way where she doesn't know whether to cry at the gesture or smile at the memory. In the end, she does neither and simply puts it on the dresser. She'll deal with it another time.

Everything in the barn will be dealt with later when she grabs her phone and bag before heading to the main house. It's just her and she can use something that reminds her of the time she was a teenager over her messes made within the last month.

She's confused when her eyes dart open and it's still dark out. Nothing wakes her up. It's as silent as ever and there's no one around. It's just her lying on the couch over making it upstairs to her bedroom. As good as a place any to sleep when she's alone. It hits her that she hasn't really slept alone since before got to Rosewood. A few nights Caleb slept on the couch before moving to her bed, she found herself in Wren's bed shortly after, and it wasn't until she forced herself back to Rosewood is she lying there alone.

[ Wren; 2:09 AM ]: If you ever need another escape...

[ Spencer; 5:42 AM ]: Don't tempt me.

The temptation is real and true but she only ends up moving to take a shower upstairs. She sits in there way too long as she remembers the time she was locked in there. The A message on the mirror is clear in her mind and she hopes A.D. isn't around to torture her in the same way. She really likes that shower and she doesn't think Aria will randomly show up to rescue her. Out of all the ways to die naked in a shower is lowest on her list of preferred methods.

Her bedroom is as same as ever. The only time she's bothered to spend any time there is during some vacations. The one where she actually went home. When it came to her and Melissa the barn went to whoever was there first. Most of the time it was her sister. It holds good memories and bad memories, but there's something about it that reminds her too much of the dollhouse to spend any decent amount of time there. She just rummages through her closet before finding something decent worth wearing.

When she finally makes it downstairs she's met with Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Alison sitting in her kitchen. That look which she shows judgement radiates off of nearly all of them. Except Hanna. Has that same look that she looks more like a look of pity and general sadness she doesn't want to think about. Things are just weird between them and she's glad that the other girls are there, even if they look like they are about to skin her alive.

"Where were you?" Alison asks the minute Spencer takes a seat at the island and reaches for the last coffee in the cup holder.

"Don't say Melissa," Aria adds on.

Spencer shoots a look at Hanna.

"I tried. They didn't believe me."

It does seem pretty foolish that she would go and see Melissa while all of this is going down. Her and Melissa are better in some ways and worse than others, but going to see her as everything is falling apart once against isn't exactly on her list of priorities. She grabs a muffin and sets it down on the napkin while avoiding the gazes of everyone. She didn't necessarily think about how she was going to explain everything with Wren. "I went to go see Wren." Blurting it out is one way to go.

"What?" Emily asks before turning to Hanna. "And you knew? When we needed you the most," she turns back to Spencer, "this isn't time to worry about Caleb."

"This was about, Caleb?" Alison presses with a roll of her eyes.

"No, yes, no...it's complicated. It's not that simple." She takes a sip of her coffee as they all wait on her for an explanation.

"I kissed Caleb." Hanna admits, causing everyone to turn on her. "Before it all happened. I kissed him and it meant...nothing. It was a mistake and Spencer has every right to be mad. So, don't be mad at her."

"Is that why you've been acting all weird?" Aria whispers as she leans over her. "You should have said something, Spence."

"It's not important." That feels like a lie. It is a lie. "It sucks but that's not why I went to London. Not entirely. I needed an alibi so I made sure to purchase Rollns' ticket and left his stuff on the train. I turned his phone off but I kept it before going to London. I went to Wren's. Partially for an alibi partially to be a slut and feel better." She swallows and takes another sip, more like a gulp, of her coffee. "I told him what happened with Rollins."

"Spencer, please tell me you're joking." Alison cross her arms. "Do you just want to tell everyone? Why don't we plaster a sign outside your house?"

Hanna's expression turns into something more annoyance based, "You're going to get us all arrested."

"I told him because I trust him. He knows about...everything. Charlotte called him and told him a lot of things but he's never said anything."

"He broke up with Melissa because of it." Hanna points out.

"He broke up with Melissa but he didn't tell anyone otherwise my sister would be in jail right now." Spencer defends a little harder than she probably needs to. "He's never done anything to hurt us and he's not going to start now."

"I told Ezra." Aria says after remaining quiet for a moment.

"Okay," Emily shakes her head, "we're not telling anyone else."

"We should tell Caleb." Spencer says quietly, looking at Hanna.

"I agree." Hanna nods. "He's more helpful if he knows."

"Okay, no more." Emily's tone is firm. "We're already in this mess."

"There's more." She can feel the collective groan that doesn't actually come out. "I gave him the phone to use to...throw them off of our trail. He'll use it and it'll make him seem like he's in Europe."

"Why didn't you consult any of us?" Emily questions sharply. "You can't mess with all of our lives."

"I'm sorry." It's not all that genuine and she doesn't care that it's not. "I did what I did. If it all comes down to it you can all put the blame on me." Not as if she hasn't been arrested before.

"So, he agreed?" Hanna asks.

"He's always had a soft spot for me." She says the words to Hanna and Hanna alone. It's bitchy and she's only making tensions rise. The comment isn't even that fair to Wren, who isn't even there. None of it is fair. She doesn't push the issue when Hanna glances down and Spencer takes a sip of her own coffee.

"Tanner is leading the investigation." Alison breaks the silence and tension. "She's been by a few times already. Probably ready to string us all up for the murder."

"Probably." Aria agrees as she sips her own coffee.

"We have to go." Emily announces, standing. "If you guys hear anything just let us know. Don't tell anyone else."

"Got it." Spencer agrees.

"Ezra is waiting for me." Aria stands up next and doesn't elaborate, only pressing a hand to Spencer's shoulder. "Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah, I will." She whispers. It leaves her there with Hanna and she doesn't really know what to do or say. "Thanks for covering for me or trying to."

"Yeah, it was the least I could do."

"Have you talked to Caleb?"

"No." Hanna shakes her head. "We're not really talking while everything is going down. He's up at Toby's cabin not fishing."

Spencer smiles at that. They like to not fish a lot.

"Why Wren? I didn't even know you were into him."

"Comfort." She shrugs, giving the only explanation she can think of that is a truth but not too much of a truth. "He's always there when I need someone. Never complains. Never questions. I kind of want Caleb to hurt, but I'm not going to tell him. If you want to tell him it's fine. I know what I did to Caleb is worse than what you both did to me. He'll come back from his trip and dump me. I'm ready. I'm ready now."

"Spence, we…" She walks around the island and sits next to her. "You can make it work with him. He loves you. I was on the other side of that door, too."

"No," she shakes her head, swallowing everything down. "He loves you. I am a connection to you. I thought it was real and for me, it was. I love him but he doesn't love me. I want to be loved. Actually, truly loved. He'll never give that to me and it's stupid for us to even try. So I can look at Caleb every day and think about he loves someone else, and how he can look at me and pretend he loves me? It's not fair. It's not your fault, Hanna. You didn't make him love you."

"I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have kissed him."

"Hey," she puts her hand over Hanna's, letting out a light laugh, "I had sex with another guy. Always keeping it in perspective. I need to be the messiest. It's pathological at this point."

Hanna smiles in return. "I'm not going to tell him. It won't do anything good for any of us."

"I'm going to see Mary."

"I have a meeting with Lucas."

"How's that going?"

"It's going." Hanna stands, not offering any more information. "Call me if you figure anything out."

Spencer nods before sitting there and drinking the rest of her coffee. She cleans up the kitchen before walking out to the barn. The jacket she wants is there, unfortunately. Just walking into the barn and feeling Caleb without him even being there hits her a lot harder than she wants.

She doesn't bother looking for the coat and instead pulls all of the sheets off and throws them onto the couch. Caleb didn't leave much behind but anything he did find it's way to the couch. The whole place looks more of a mess than usual but it's fine. She needs some kind of cleanse. Bed sheets are about all she can do for the moment. She'll wash it and find some new bedding. Put the old stuff away until she goes to D.C.

If she ever goes back to D.C. and she really doesn't want to think about going back and having to deal with her apartment. Over the years he left more a mark there than a barn he only stayed in for a few weeks.

There's only a brief moment before she decides she needs to drive out to the Lost Woods. Better to get her meeting with Mary over so she has more time to sulk about. It's quite pathetic, really. There are a lot of things about her that are pathetic, yet she doesn't bother much with those trains of thoughts.

She notices the way Mary seems truly fearful of Dunhill, Rollins, whatever they are actually calling him now. She shouldn't trust her. Not when she's the spitting image of Jessica and that didn't turn out so well. It's just she doesn't really seem as if she's there to hurt them. If she knew he was dead she wouldn't have to hole herself up. She was scared before she even knew it was Spencer. Or she's cherry picking information so it can seem as positive as her mind is making it out to be.

She doesn't know and things don't really make much sense. Nothing makes any sense.

Only that A.D. is really out to get them.

She sleeps in the main house a second night in a row until she goes out to the barn to attempt to tidy the place up. She manages to put the sheets in the laundry basket and make it so it doesn't look entirely disheveled. The couch is free of sheets though, just the same as her bed. She hadn't had the chance to talk to Wren the previous day and feels stupid the way she wants to call him. Even so much as hovering over his name.

There's a knock at her door before it slightly opens. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah." She says as she locks her phone. It beeps and she has the urge to check just to avoid him.

"You need to take that?"

"No. That's alright."

"I'm so sorry, Spencer." Caleb begins, taking a seat on the couch next to her. "And you were right. I am confused. I never meant…"

"I know. Look, we both made mistakes. And I'm not saying that it's okay. But I really don't regret trying."

"You don't?"

She ignores the way in which it feels like he does. "When Toby and I broke up...I didn't date anyone for a really, really long time. Nothing serious, anyways, you know, it's just nothing ever stuck. Nothing ever measured up. It was like my...my heart had just stopped." She was crying now, unable to help herself. "And I felt that way for a really long time...until you."

"Oh, Spence…"

"No, it's good. I'm saying, it's a good thing. Okay, because I've, I hurt." She chuckles sadly, something she is so used to now. "Believe me, I hurt. But I...I get to remember what felt like...to be in love again." In some ways it's worse. The silence is heavy between them. "I think you should probably go."

"Okay."

"Bye, Caleb."

"Bye."

The barn feels even more tainted than before after Caleb leaves. The only thing she does is grab her phone before moving to the main house. She's glad her parents are still out of town so she can just be and not have to explain to them why she's crying most of the time, and why she's eating out of the fridge at all hours of the day.

She doesn't need to hear about stupid salad from her mom any more times.

There's no self control as she wipes her tears and plops down on the couch, hitting Wren's name in her phone and praying he answers. "So, um," she sniffles, swallowing as she tries to control herself, "I can't even think of something witty or a reference to say. I'll go with honesty and say I just wanted to hear your voice, which makes me super pathetic and clingy."

"I've never found you pathetic." Wren answers after a brief silence. "You're crying."

"I'm not."

"I can hear it, Spencer. What happened?"

"Caleb just dumped me." She feels so small as she confesses. "It's for the best. I just...feel really alone. Not even like single alone because I've been single for so long. Just," she lets out a breath, "like everyone has their lives and I have to this stupid house to myself with nothing to...exist for."

"How long have you felt that way?"

"Don't shrink me."

"I'm not a shrink."

Spencer rolls her eyes. "You're a shrink even if you medicate people over talking to them. You're a shrink."

"Let us say I am a shrink you need someone to talk to." Wren tells her softly, actually trying to help her. "You aren't alone Spencer. I know things are rocky between you and Hanna, but you have her. Your other friends. Me."

"You're an ocean away."

"We have phones."

Spencer wipes the last of her tears away. "I hate to ask things of you."

"Consider it done, Spencer."

"Wren?" She asks after a moment of silence. Not yet willing to hang up.

"Yes?"

"I'm not using you. I know this is messy and complicated, but you're not just a tool. I love Caleb." She pauses and does her best to keep herself together. "I'm sorry that sounds so mean. Probably shouldn't tell the guy you slept with you love someone. I did enjoy being with you in London."

"I know."

"You always say that but I don't believe you."

"I'm not here to complicate your life. You know where to find me if you want more than just a stolen night to piss off your boyfriend."

"Wow," the sarcastic tone is clear, "you make me sound great."

"It wasn't a criticism," Wren tells her. "It's the truth."

"Wren?"

"Yes, Spencer?"

"Thank you."

"Always."

As much as she wants to sit there and sulk all day she knows she can't. She can't let herself fall down some rabbit hole that will be hard to pull herself out of. She needs to make sure that they are all doing their civic duty and making sure that Rollins stays buried. Figuratively. His dead body isn't going anywhere no matter how paranoid Hanna is about it all. Dead people do not get up and walk out of graves. Makeshift graves, at that.

This just cannot turn into one of the things that A.D. holds over them. The simple decision would be for them to stop making mistakes but she doesn't think that is going to happen anytime soon.

They always end up back in Rosewood hell.

She figures she looks like crap but doesn't care that much as she makes her way next door. She's surprised when she sees Jason sitting on the steps. She thought he was still out of town but that's clearly not the case as he's there with his too long hair and looking out as clouds overcast the sky. Fitting to her mood. She swallows and takes a deep breath so she can at least pretend to look and feel okay as she ends up coming into his line of sight.

"What's wrong?" Jason asks after a moment of looking at her.

"Nothing." She shrugs and takes a seat next to him. The plan was to see Alison but Jason isn't mad at her the way Alison is.

"I'm your brother, Spence. I think after five years you'd get that."

She does get it and she's actually grateful to have a brother when she's so used to have Melissa. "More like seven years."

"Yeah, but we got along better after Charlotte."

"We did." She agrees and is glad that there's no waring of the families. Jason is obviously a sore spot for both of her parents but not for her. She feels closer to Jason than she does any other family members. Sometimes she wonders what it'd of been like if she had always known that Jason was her brother. Lots of fighting, she presumes. She lets out a shaky breath. "Caleb dumped me and he's probably going back to Hanna." She doesn't dare look at him. Only looks at her shoes and tries to distract herself. More tears are not good for anyone.

"Want me to beat him up for you?"

Spencer laughs. "It's fine. He can be my one super bad idea."

"What about Ian?"

"You knew about that?" She gasps at him.

"The tapes."

"Oh, right." Just something on a long list of things she's forgotten about. "Ian and Caleb don't really compare."

"I'd hope not." Jason replies. "Then I'd really have to beat him up."

"You have Jesus hair and I know Jesus would not approve."

"When was the last time you even went to church?"

"Charlotte's funeral."

"Missed that one." Jason turns to her, a tone shift hitting them just at the mention of Charlotte. "You okay? I know it's been a long road."

"I'm still sober."

"That's not what I asked."

Spencer shakes her head and looks away from him. "I thought I would feel better. At the funeral I thought she's dead. She can't hurt us but…" she trails off, "but I still cannot get past some of the things she did to us. Alison loved her so much what was I gonna do? Now everything is just so fucked up."

"Yeah, it's always like that." Jason comments, not elaborating. "I'm going to a meeting later if you want to come."

"Got nothing better to do." Spencer stands. She needs to get the conversation with Ali over with. "I'm going to go talk to Ali before she makes a voodoo doll and I end up dead in the street."

"I think she's working on a Rollins one right now. If you hurry you can beat her."

Spencer lets out a soft laugh as she walks up the steps and into the house, finding Alison in the kitchen staring into nothingness. She doesn't really know what she's going through but it's definitely a lot. She feels guilty and knows they shouldn't have been so quick to make it so Alison killed Charlotte. It was just a messy situation all around.

It's not as if they could pick between Hanna or Alison. Well, Caleb could and did but it doesn't matter much anyway. She doesn't think either of them particularly like one another. Can't blame Alison too much. She's always had good instincts.

"I shouldn't have left," Spencer states as she takes a seat at the counter, "I know that. You can be mad at me all you want."

"Good because I am." Alison cuts in, her tone as sharp and Ali as ever.

"I'm trying to make it right now. Wren's going to make it so it seems like he's in Europe"

"And what about Wren? Trace to him then you then me. Tanner wants us all strung up."

"I trust him."

Alison rolls her eyes. "I don't."

"I meant it when I said I would take the fall. I have the least to lose."

"I'm not much better than you."

"You know," Spencer begins, trying to cut some of the tension coming off the both of them in waves, "When I was in Radley I had this hallucination. We danced to I'm Your Puppet. I must still have that record somewhere, yours, you left it there. Left a lot of stuff I could never get rid of."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Spencer shrugs as there's not a real answer to why she's telling Alison. Just that she can relate to the feeling of being in Welby. Only Radley was far weirder, only Alison's torture is different from her own. "When I was at my lowest and my craziest stuck inside Radley it was you I thought of. Almost as if you were the only one who could give me answers when I had no one to turn to, when I didn't want to turn to anyone at all."

"What happened?"

"You guided me towards the visitor passes Wren authorized. He found me, I asked him about it, and then he took me back to my room."

"Too bad that never got us any closer to Charlotte."

"Nothing really ever did." It's a sad truth. She tries not to think about it since it's usually on her list of failures. Charlotte really did outsmart them all over and over again. If she didn't want to end the game there's no saying the game would even be over.

Alison remains calm and unmoved for a moment, before her gaze finally shifts to Spencer. "Want some coffee?"

"Yeah, I do."

Spencer's never more grateful for the mundane than when it gives her a few days to just be. Alison and Emily finish out their work week. The cops tell them about the call before finding they don't have too much information to go on until wait for things to come from Europe. They didn't tell her that much but she believes Wren when he says it's handled.

Being an adult and the others having careers they need to attend to finally allows her to sulk around her house.

She doesn't want to spend too much time being miserable but the two days she gets to do it without interruption are perfect. She eats terribly, watches too many sad movies and others that are just plain bad, and cleans out the freezer of any and all ice cream.

It's on the third day she actually manages to shower and feel like herself again. She puts on real clothes and eats an apple from the bowl on the counter. The apple is about to go bad since it's just her living there but it's a step in the right direction so she's taking it.

Hanna's texted her a few times checking on her and she's grateful for that. She doesn't reply but she thinks it's nice that through everything their friendship isn't permanently broken. Losing Hanna would be way worse than losing Caleb. Still, it takes her all day to actually find the courage to text Hanna back.

They end up at the park once the sun has set, sitting on the swings as if they are kids. The beer they are sharing makes it so they aren't kids, though. It's not really a place for Spencer to go. She does it so rarely but it seems fitting. She wants to make sure things are right with Hanna. She misses her. If nothing else she just misses Hanna. Things have been awkward for weeks since they stepped foot in Rosewood. Caleb isn't worth destroying that over. She wants them both to be happy and she almost wishes she could just be some petty bitch who wants them both to be anything but happy. Didn't even have the courage to our her little tryst with Wren to Caleb. Only made it so that he was free to move on with his life and she was the one in pain.

She's always known friendship is more important than who any of them are dating. Even if things have fallen apart when they all went off to college. That's natural. It's not natural for them all to be walking on eggshells around each other while they deal with the mess that A.D. brings into their lives. They are stronger together.

It's nice as they swing. Hanna tells her about breaking up with Jordan. Spencer assures her she'll be fine, even encourages her to tell Caleb. She kind of wonders where that other part comes from but she doesn't worry about it. Not when she truly thinks Hanna and Caleb deserve each other. In a true sense. Not that bitter sense. No sense in being with someone who you don't love. Just like Caleb doesn't love her. Hanna doesn't love Jordan.

"I want to help you in the way you help me." Hanna eventually says after they've run out of awkward subjects to talk about.

Spencer has no idea what that means and even looks at her with an entirely too puzzled expression on her face. She's not used to being the confused one. "What?"

"Look."

"Where?"

"Ohmygod, Spencer." Hanna lets out a huff and twists her swing in the opposite direction. "I'm supposed to be the dense one."

When Spencer lays her eyes on Wren she doesn't know what to do with herself. She's dumbfounded. Questions herself as to why she didn't bother to think he would ever show up. "You didn't..." she murmurs just barely, looking at Hanna for brief moment, only to shift back to Wren.

"Look, I know he's not your true love soulmate or whatever, but if he can make you happy for a few days with tons of breakup sex then just let him. I just can't stand to see you sad knowing I did this to you." She explains as she settles herself on her own swing, "You already hooked up so I know you're not against it." When Spencer still doesn't move she gently kicks the swing. "Go."

Spencer doesn't even know what to say so she doesn't. Just lets a soft smile come across her lips as she walks over to Wren. There's only one thing she can think to do and that's hug him, burying herself in him as if being there in that moment will solve all her problems. It won't solve anything but she doesn't care. "I can't believe you're here."

"Shitty London."

"Yeah," she whispers, looking at him. "Shitty London." She thinks it's bad idea to kiss him but she does it anyway. Her hands cup his face and he kisses her back with such an ease it feels good. He's always been someone she likes to kiss. The phone ringing brings her away from the fact that it's not just them and Hanna is standing behind her. "Is that yours?" She asks Hanna as she grips Wren's hand loosely, dragging him back to the swings.

"No." Hanna tells Spencer as she moves to grab the phone from her bag. "It's Rollins'."

"I thought you gave me his phone." Wren interjects while looking between the pair.

"I gave you his phone. This is his burner phone."

"First your turn her in then you leave her alone. Stupid bitches." The voice that comes through the phone sounds a hell of a lot like Rollins.

Spencer actually begins to think Hanna may actually be right. If he's not dead though, he's going after Ali. "Call Ali, Hanna. Now."

They call to warn Alison but Spencer feels like something's not right. She barely focuses that Wren is there with them as she drives down to her house. Doesn't even think of how to explain when they all go through her house and see she's upstairs. Spencer immediately moves to Alison's side, seeing that she's injured. Nothing makes any sense. She saw Rollin die. She buried the body herself. There's no way he crawled out of the grave and is now trying to hunt Alison down to kill her. It just doesn't add up. Even with A.D. it just doesn't add up.

"Oh god, you're hurt." She whispers and strokes Alison's cheek, Hanna moving to her opposite side. She clings onto Alison and the immense guilt of everything is weighing down on her. They need to keep her safe. They failed her before.

"I'm okay." Alison reassures before glancing between Spencer and Wren. "Spencer, what is he doing here?"

"Wren, Alison. Alison, Wren." She introduces casually. Everything happened in such a fit she didn't have time to separate them and his presence when they get the phone calls means he is aware. She looks back at him and wonders how many questions he has. If Rollins is still actually alive they all made a mess of things even more. She made him make a bigger mess all for her own gain, knowing he would not say no to her.

Wren leans in the doorway with his arms crossed against his chest as Alison tells them all what happened. They cannot speak as freely as they want with the cops right downstairs. The last thing any of them need is hearing them say something suspicious. When the cops clearout so do they, ending up walking over to her house. Emily promises to stay with Alison. It doesn't make her think either of them are actually safe.

"We need to see if his body is there." Hanna states, looking over at Spencer as they make their way into her backyard.

"That's a bad idea."

"Look, Spence, we have to know. I have to know. I'll do it whether you're coming or not."

Before Spencer has a chance to say something Wren interrupts. "You two need to explain to me what the hell is going on."

Spencer looks at Hanna before looking at Wren. It's a little late to ask for permission.

"You explain." Hanna nods. "I'm going to go find some clothes I can steal from you for this."

She's not really sure when her relationship with Wren went from casual to this serious. It is serious. Serious the moment she got on the plane and asked the favor from him. Serious when Hanna called him and asked him to come. Serious as she takes off her coat and puts it on the arm of the couch. He heard about A.D. on the phone and she has to tell him, but it seems to foolish to.

She trusts him. Trusts him so much she told him one of her darker secrets. Burying a body is nothing to be proud of. She's not proud. Not with how this is all unfolding. Not exactly regretful but not proud either.

Everyone knows about Charlotte. Especially Wren. But had he not had contact with Charlotte as it were it was all over every paper and news outlet for months. Her first semester at Georgetown was interesting because of it.

"It's happening again." Is all she can manage to say as she sits right on top of her jacket. "It's not just Rollins. It's the messages, the threats, the pictures, the videos, whatever. It's someone who is avenging Charlotte and I just can't help but wonder who could give a shit that crazy bitch is dead?" She laughs in disbelief at that last part before getting out her phone, handing it to him. "You can read them."

Wren doesn't speak and simply takes the phone, scrolling through the anonymous messages she's kept. "I'm surprised you're telling me this. Mona and Charlotte were never all that reserved about their past torment towards you and your friends. I'm just surprised it's coming from you."

"Yeah, well," she lets out a sigh as she takes the phone back, "I think if you're going to know about Rollins it's stupid to not have you know about everything else. I haven't learned a lot considering I buried a body, but I can't protect you if I can't even protect myself."

"I don't need you to protect me."

"I wish that was true." She swallows down the worry she has knowing just how much danger she's put Wren in. Not just with all of this but the fact that he actually has a stable life and career. It's nice seeing him standing there but part of her wishes Hanna never called. "If this is too much I won't hold it against you for leaving."

"I'm not leaving unless you want me to."

Spencer just smiles, softly, barely, knowing the act of verbally asking him to stay is a lot. "I've been staying in here. My parents are on a cruise and Melissa is in London. I told Alison you'd be here if anything happens."

"Be careful."

"I will."