Chapter 18- We're All In This Together

Nearly 5 months after the group had found out about Spencer's unexpected pregnancy and they were all accompanying the soon to be parents while they looked for a new apartment. Spencer was nearly 7 months pregnant and she couldn't exactly think straight but she still insisted on going to school every day and making sure that all her assignments were in on time. She even went in when she'd been having severe morning sickness; after all she had to prove her parents wrong.

Toby and Spencer went for a meal at the Hastings' manor two days after everyone else found out so that they could break the news to them; knowing full well that Spencer would soon be showing. It had gone better than they expected; they agreed to help put down a deposit on a new apartment and to set Spencer up with some money for the first few months of the baby's life so she could still continue going to school. They had also made it clear that Spencer couldn't spend longer than two weeks off school after she had given birth even though she had practically finished the entire senior year in preparation for the baby. Jason had offered to look after his niece or nephew while the couple were at work or school; it would after all give him time to bond with the new member of his family.

As the 9 members of the group (well 10 if you count the expected arrival) wandered through a large apartment in the same block as Ezra and Aria; they had gotten onto the subject of what they would call their baby.

"I always imaged you to call your baby something like Tim or Betty." Aria said as she contemplated the names she would allow the baby to be called "not that I like that name, they both make it sound like an old man."

"Where the hell did you get that from? I would never ever give my child names like that; unless I wanted it to be bullied throughout school." Spencer laughed at her best friends name choice. "We have actually had some ideas for names"

"I thought they were just ideas? You said we weren't going to tell anyone else until we had actually decided?" Toby whispered in his girlfriend's ear.

"I think they are both perfect so I'm pretty decided" She smiled at him, her face glowing from the pregnancy; she had never looked so beautiful in his eyes. "Oh and we have something else to tell you all"

"Well are you going to tell us? I can't stand this tension" Hanna was always the most impatient of the group so the idea of waiting to find out something about her best friends child was tearing her up.

"Calm down Han! Give them chance" Emily laughed at her friends enthusiasm as she watched Spencer back into Toby and his hands rest over her bump protectively. She had never seen anything so perfect than this tiny family that stood so happily in front of her.

"You tell them the first part" Spencer muttered as she looked up at his bright blue eyes and was answered with a slight nod.

"Um, we found out the sex of the baby." He paused to look at the 7 shocked faces stood in front of them; they were under the impression that they were waiting until the baby was born to find out the gender so this was a complete surprise to them. "And it's a boy". There were cheers coming from the 4 guys at the idea of them having a nephew while the girls let out gasps and awed at the news.

"Hey wait guys, there's more. We know what we're calling him." Everyone soon shut up and had their eyes fixed on Spencer in anticipation. "We're calling his Elijah; Elijah Jase Hastings-Cavanaugh." A tear fell down her cheek as she said her baby's name; it was official, she was having a son.

"Congratulations guys! I can't wait to meet my nephew." Jason was the first one to congratulate the couple; he pulled his sister into his arms doing his best not to squash her bump. "I can't believe it's a boy"

"Oh and we know that this apartment is absolutely perfect for our family. So Aria, Ezra and Mike we apologise for the noise that your nephew will inevitably be making" Toby nudged Aria as she grinned at the news; her best friend and nephew would be in the same building as her, she couldn't wait.

"I need to go show now. There are baby clothes and decorations to be bought. This child will be the best dressed baby with the nicest nursery in the whole of Rosewood." Hanna declared as she hugged Spencer then proceeded to pull Caleb out of the apartment with her.

"We best be going too actually, we told my Dad that as soon as we'd found the perfect apartment we'd go see him and he'd get it all sorted for us" Spencer kissed Toby on the cheek before biding the other 3 farewell and leaving for her parents house. With a spring in her step and a glow emanating from her; she was sure that nothing could damage her happiness.

While they were in the truck; making the most of being able to use it so often because once their son was born it would just become Toby's work truck. Spencer's phone began to notify her that she had received a text as she absent mindedly unlocked it without checking the I.D.

"Well congratulations Spencer, I'd like to so a girl would have been better but a boy could be good too. I'll make the most of it anyway. Have fun with your baby because it won't be for long. –A"

She let out a gasp as she read the text and panic surged through her body; she wasn't sure if what she had just read was real.

"Baby what's wrong?" Toby was trying to attend to his girlfriend while still keeping his eyes on the road so he hadn't seen her phone sitting in her hands. "Spencer baby answer me" He took his eyes off the road at looked at the device that was clutched in her hand. Luckily they were arriving at the gates of Spencer's former house so he pulled up the drive and cut off the exhaust.

"Toby, he isn't safe."

"What do you mean? What makes you think that?"

"Look" She passed her phone to him with the text on screen and watched as all the colour drained from his face. "We need to talk to Melissa; I need to know what she knows."

"Ok. But Spencer I need you to know that I will not let anything happen to you or our baby; I would rather die." He blinked back the tears that were trying to escape his eyes as he pulled the brunette into his warmth. "I love you Spence and I love you too Elijah." He placed his hand on her stomach as he kissed her gently.

"Mom, Dad are you in?"

"Where in here Spencer, Melissa's here too." Veronica shouted back

"Hi Spencer" Melissa walked into the kitchen beaming at her sister "how are you and my favourite niece or nephew?"

"Actually, we have something to tell you all." The sister's parents soon emerged in the kitchen to see their youngest daughter. "Seeing as though you're all here; here it goes." She grabbed Toby's hands for reassurance before she could tell them the news. "Um, it's a boy."

Peter had never been 100% on board with the idea of his youngest daughter being pregnant at the tender age of 18 but he had to admit that there was no better person to be in this situation. He had also learnt to deal with the fact that the father of his grand child was Toby Cavanaugh; the ex-murder suspect and the 'bad boy' of the town but he needed to remember that Spencer was once a murder suspect too so he couldn't exactly judge. Toby however loved his brown eyed girl unconditionally and that was all he could ask for.

"That's brilliant Spencer!" He beamed at the pair that stood nervously in front of them as if they were facing a jury. He knew that he had never really made it easy for his daughters to be open with him but he only ever wanted the best for them and that was what came with it.

"Do you have any names?" Melissa shouted ecstatically. Once she had gotten over that fact that her 17 year old sister, at the time was pregnant; she had learnt to just be happy about the fact that she would have a baby in the family to devote her attention to. When Spencer got to the 5 month point in her pregnancy she had offered to look after the baby on the days when Jason couldn't; after all she did want Spencer to have someone to rely on while she reached her full potential.

"Actually, we do. He's called Elijah." Spencer smiled as she said her baby's name "Elijah Jase Hastings-Cavanaugh"

"Hastings?" Veronica questioned. Veronica had been the first one to accept her daughter's pregnancy because she knew that if she didn't she would end up losing her and her grandchild. "Why Hastings?"

"That was Toby's doing. He didn't like the idea of this baby not having the Hastings name; plus if we get married that we intend on our family being the 'Hastings-Cavanaugh's' if that's alright with you?" She looked at her father for his approval to see his eyes tearing up; she had never once seen her father show any form of emotion.

"Of course it is sweetheart; at least this way the Hastings name gets carried on. Well kind of" He pulled his daughter into him and thought of his grandson that he would treat like he was the most important child on the planet. "Hastings-Cavanaugh; it had a ring to it"

"My nephew will be the most spoilt child in the world; I promise Spencer, I will always be here for you please don't forget that."

"I won't Melissa." She smiled appreciatively at her sister "Actually we need to talk to you. It's really important."

"Sure, shoot."

"When you and Wren were being –A, did he ever say anything about his link to whoever it is?"

"Vaguely, he said that he had the power to make your life a whole lot easier but he liked watching you squirm so I guess he know exactly who it is. Why what's happened?"

"Um, -A's back and it's important that we put a stop to them."

"Spencer you're scaring me, you have dealt with –A for years now so why are you so urgent about this?"

"When they start to threaten your baby I think I have a right to be urgent." She shivered at the idea of the monster being near the life that she had created with so much love; how could anyone be so vile?

"Shit. What do we do?"

"Wait Spencer, did you say that this –A person is back?" Peter questioned and was greeting with a nod from his youngest daughter. "How do they get in touch with you?"

"Text why?"

"If you give me your phone we might be able to have the texts tracked and see who the hell it is."

"No dad, we know the vicinity in which they're coming from because Caleb tracked them but it's too risky to go see." Spencer trembled at the idea of stepping into her brother's old house and being greeted with a potential killer.

"Where?"

"The DeLaurentis' old house. They've been coming from there since about a month after Jason moved out."

"Were a string of them coming from there?"

"Uhuh"

"Right, I'm going to call one of the friends on the police force and see if he can go down and check the house out. If it's on the grounds of squatting and disturbance then they don't need to know about –A" Veronica spoke up from the corner, her face was as white as a sheet at the concept of anyone touching her baby; never mind her grandson. "But Spencer, you need to go home and get some sleep. We'll call you in the morning with whatever they find, I promise."

Spencer hadn't noticed that it was getting dark and she checked her watch to see 8pm. She hadn't even asked her Dad to sort out the apartment for them yet.

"Dad before we go; the apartment that you sent us to this afternoon. It's perfect" She smiled at her father that was looking frantically at his mobile like he was looking for something. He was distracted by what she had just said and left the room as he walked into his study; re-entering with a set of keys in his hand.

"I thought you'd say that" He threw the keys at Toby because he knew that he would have better co-ordination than his 7 month pregnant daughter. "It's yours; you can move in whenever you want."

2 hours later Spencer and Toby were laid in the comfort of their own bed after a hectic day. The warmth from Toby's bare chest was pressed to Spencer's back as he rested his hand protectively on her stomach.

"2 months left Spence; do you think we're ready for this?"

"Toby, since when will we ever be ready to bring a child into the world at such a young age?" She turned over so she was facing him with their foreheads touching affectionately. "But we can do this; we have everyone we need and most of all we have each other. Elijah will be the most loved child in America"

"I'm excited to meet him now; to meet my son. I just hope to god that he's all we expect."

"Well with a role model with you he will be the sweetest, most kind, most gentle little boy we will have the pleasure of calling ours. I hope he had your eyes, he will be ridiculously beautiful." She was beginning to tear up at the thought of the perfect child she was picturing. "I love you Toby"

"I love you too Spencer. Now I think we should go to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow."

"Night." She whispered as she kissed him delicately on the lips.

"Night baby, I love you."

AN: This one is the build up for what's to come in the next few chapters. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to update but I have a biology exam on Monday so I'm restricted for time. I promise that as soon as I get Year 11 over with I'll have more story's up and everything. Thank you all for reading! -Chloe :-)xx