AN: This one's a long one guys, I hope you enjoy it! I had to incorporate this part of the program into it as well because as much as we all hate it, it's exciting. Please review this one, I need all you of your opinions! Thank you so so much! -Chloe :-) xx
It was about 3 weeks after Toby's and Spencer's for intimate moment as Spencer Hastings stepped out of her car ready to embrace the cold December air. She had received a text nearly fifteen minutes prior to her arrival from Aria saying that she needed to be at her house immediately for an emergency meeting with her and the other two. When Aria arranged these emergency meetings it generally meant that she didn't know what to wear on her date with Ezra but this time it seemed different, like it was genuinely urgent.
The three girls were all waiting for Spencer in the kitchen her tiny best friend looking pale with shock and the other two pacing back and forth. Something told Spencer that she was about to be given a piece of information that could change her life and she didn't like that feeling, she didn't like it at all.
"W-what's...what's happened?" Spencer muttered, feeling like her throat was closing in on itself and she was just going to stop breathing
"Spence, I think it's a good idea for you to sit down" Aria started "we have something to tell you"
"No, I don't want to sit down, I just want to know what's going on" she was yelling now "is it Toby, has something happened to Toby, please, just tell me" a single tear was now rolling down her now pale cheeks.
"Well, nothing has happened to him, but this has something to do with him" Emily had started talking now; there was a look in her eyes, a look of hurt and anger. "I found something, when I went to pick my coat up from Toby's earlier, I wish I hadn't, I just wish this would all go away"
"Em, what are you talking about, please someone, just tell me!" Hanna was trying to comfort her sobbing best friend
"Shh Spence, just calm down and we'll explain, I promise"
"Well, I'd let myself into the apartment with the spare key because Toby said he would be out but I was more than welcome to go in and grab it. I started looking around for it, checking all the closets in case he had misplaced it but as I was looking in the closet in his room, I-I found something; it was something that I could never mistake. It was A's jacket" Her eyes were filling with tears and her body began to shake vigorously; Aria was now by her side holding her as she sobbed. All four of the girls were crying now. "I pulled it out of the closet to get a closer look and something fell out of the pocket; a phone fell out. It was like the one that we found on the night Hanna run -A over but this one was newer. I couldn't stop myself, I had to look, I couldn't bear the idea of Toby having anything to do with that monster; I wish I hadn't have looked now, I wish I'd have just got the hell out of there"
"D-d-did you see anything? Was it –A's?" Spencer managed to get out. She was soon answered with a gentle nod of Emily's head. All of a sudden she felt like her whole world was crumbling around her, her sense of security was completely shaken. What was she meant to do? Scream, shout or cry? She couldn't get any of that out; instead she just sat in silence as her life was turned upside down.
After what felt like a lifetime later Spencer heard Emily clear her throat; Spencer knew she was about to say something and she wasn't sure if it would make her feel any better.
"I managed to get into the phone, the password wasn't that hard to guess; it was the founders day festival, when you defied your parents to be with Toby. I had hoped that this was still of some importance to him. After I unlocked it I found a load of texts, he was never the one sending the texts Spence, he was just there to make sure that someone went through with the threats, he's just the puppet."
"So, he was the one that pushed Ian? He was the one that wrote on the mirror? After all this time he was trying to make me feel safe with the comfort of Mona being in Radley. He was probably just buying time before him and his co-workers can bin me off too. He lied to me; he made me trust him just so he could ruin me. How could I have been such a fool?" The emotions that weren't showing before were definitely there now. Her entire body began to shake as all of her energy left her, tears were now falling freely down her pale face and loud sobs were escaping her lips. The other three girls were soon at her side trying to comfort her but it hurt her to know that the only person that could comfort her was Toby.
"What do we do know?" Hanna was the only girl that dared asked the question that they were all dying to know.
"I-I-I need to speak to him, find out all the facts" Spencer was the loudest they had heard her since she entered the house, she was so sure about this decision that none of the other girls stood in her way and she peeled herself from Aria's sofa and stomped out to her car.
Spencer felt fragile, like if anything touched her she would just smash into a million pieces; she had to get out of that house before her friends saw her completely break down. As she climbed into the car she lost all control, she couldn't keep her emotions in check, unsure as to whether she was angry, hurt or just felt foolish. The only thought that was rushing through her mind was where she would find Toby, she had to see him, and she needed to be the one to talk to him about this, not Emily. She suddenly remembered him saying something earlier about having to work late at the site; it was dark and there was snow on the ground but the anger that tore through the girl's body allowed her to push her foot down, completely fearless as to what could happen.
Darkness surrounded the car the Aria, Hanna and Emily were sat in; they decided that it would be a good idea to follow Spencer. They knew how angry and hurt she would be feeling and they couldn't let her down if she needed them. They all sat and watched as Spencer's car door flew open and she sprinted across the lawn to the huge house Toby had been working on. With one look at each other they all hurried to get out of the car and find their best friend. There she stood; she was behind Toby, watching him as he sorted his tools out so that he could go home for the night.
"Ahem" Spencer had cleared her throat to alert Toby of her presence. Spinning around like she had just scared the life out of him
"Sp-Spence, what are you doing here?" the confusion spread across his face before a huge grin took over, "you came to surprise me, aw you're so sweet" beginning to walk over to her reaching out for her waist. He was even more surprise when Spencer stepped back now revealing the anger that was taking over her pretty features.
"What's wrong Spence, what's happened? Talk to me" he had started begging, his eyes open wide.
"Don't you dare use those eyes on me Toby Cavanaugh, was that one of your stupid tricks that made lying to me a whole lot easier?"
"What, Spencer, what the hell are you talking about?"
"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about" she could feel her eyes narrowing trying to keep back the tears that were desperately trying to escape "A" was the only word she could get out next.
Toby's eyes suddenly grew about ten times bigger, the usually baby blue pools that took residence there had changed into a dark blue, and they now resembled an ocean in the middle of a storm.
"What, I swear Spencer, it's not what you think!"
"Then what the hell is it?! You just happened to come across –A's jacket and phone that had texts addressed to you in it. All along you where trying to make me feel safe whenever I was with you, to make me love you so that one day; on –A's command, you could just tear my life apart and leave me feeling helpless and broken, that's how I feel right now Toby and you didn't even intend on me finding out yet!"
"That's not how it happened. Please Spence, just listen to me?"
"WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU, YOU LIED TO ME, PRETENDED TO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN ALL ALONG YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, YOU WERE PART OF THEIR STUPID LITTLE GAME" She couldn't help the screams that were escaping from her mouth, all the shouting that she wished she could have done for months was now being released.
"Spencer, calm down, please" His eyes were now filled with something that she had never seen in him since the first time she met him, he looked broken, like his world had come crashing down also.
"Fine, but please, just explain what the hell this is, because right now I'm thinking the worst."
"It was back when you were being really distant and we'd had the argument about how you weren't telling me something, so I said I'd find out myself didn't I? Well I went on some stupid chase to try and find who was hurting you and I had finally figured out that Mona was behind it all, I'd seen one text that –A had sent you and that was all I had to go on. On the night of the masquerade ball I was coming to find you to tell you all that I knew and to tell you that I had the ability to protect you but I got a text when I was driving back from Yardley saying that I either joined their stupid "A team" or they'd kill you." Tears were now streaming down Toby's face too, Spencer had never seen her boyfriend cry but she knew she couldn't give in now.
"So how long have you been part of it?"
"Since the night Mona got found out, I've been meeting her at Radley ever since and she tells me what the other guy wants me to do. I would never do anything that would hurt you Spence, I love you. I'm doing this for you"
Her heart began to melt as she felt all of her walls build up; her security came flooding back as she looked deep into Toby's eyes. She could see the small boy that still lingered inside of him, he was still scared of losing anyone and right now he was scared of losing Spencer. She knew better than anyone that she was the only solid thing in his life, she had been the one to save him when no one else was willing too and for that he repaid her with the love he showed her every single day.
"I-I love you too" Unsure as to whether she was doing this out of curiosity because she knew that Toby was her direct line to –A or because she genuinely didn't know what else to say and when it comes down to it, he is her weakness. "I best go now though, I know the girls followed me here and they will be dying to know how it went down" giving him a weak smile she turned and walked away heading straight for her car ready to go home. Her phone buzzed and she felt her heart leap into her mouth; there it was, the dreaded unknown number:
"Oh Spence, always one to fall deep into those eyes. I wouldn't believe all that lover boy has told you, after all he is one of us. At least now I know your weakness. Sleep tight. –A"
The last thing Spencer remembered was her whole world going dark as her head smashed into the ground. The nightmare had started again...