Chapter 30- Take A Backseat
A humid Tuesday morning dawned in Rosewood; the cool May breeze accompanying the piercing sun that graced the residents of the town with its presence nearly every day. There were people already bustling around the town preparing themselves for work or school despite it only being 7:15 when most teenagers would still be asleep so they could wake up at last minute in a distressed rush to make sure they still arrived on time.
However the beautiful Spencer Hastings was doing neither of the typical teenager things that everyone else of her age was doing. Instead she was curled up on the couch with her beautiful, bubbly bundle of joy as they waited for the laptop on the table in front of them to alert them of a certain person's call. As they sat there waiting, Elijah absentmindedly playing with the perfectly placed necklace as he sucked his thumb while drifting in and out of consciousness. The brunette teen was playing with a perfectly formed, brunette curl on the top of her son's head as her subconscious floated into an exquisite reverie.
Snow was falling heavily around the pair as they rushed into the tiny apartment they had recently started sharing due to the demise of Spencer's unmistakably irregular family life. Melissa had shown up with Wren in tow and sent the brunette's life into a complete deterioration. It wasn't like she could tell her parents exactly why she was so dead set against living with the couple once again. I digress; as they entered the confines of their abode they laughed in unison at how misshapen they both looked due to their mad dash through the horrendous weather.
"I really like what you've done to your hair; the wet look really suits you" Spencer laughed playfully as she shook her hair out of the hair tie that had been restricting its usual flow. Her huge, chestnut eyes marbled over as she took in the site before her; she had never seen anything more mesmerizing than her boyfriend when he wasn't expecting to be graced with her wandering eye. Toby laughed lovingly as he lifted his head up to drink in the woman stood before him; he hadn't noticed that she was stripping nearly every single item of clothing that she was wearing off because it was soaked straight through. Soon enough there was a huge pile of clothing that had once been arranged perfectly on the petite frame that made up Spencer Hastings' body.
"Christ Spence, how much were you wearing" he chortled. It was the type of laugh that you didn't even have to hear to know he was laughing because you could see it in his oceanic eyes. She smiled lovingly back to him hoping that he wouldn't notice just how much she was shivering because she knew that he would make a fuss of her and as much as she loved that all she wanted to be was in this moment; however he did notice. Within seconds he was battling with his half naked girlfriend as he tickled her relentlessly trying to warm her shivering body up. "You didn't think I wouldn't notice did you?"
"I have no idea what you're referring to Mr Cavanaugh"
"I'm referring to the fact that you're absolutely freezing baby" He automatically wrapped his arms tightly around her bare frame; the only things stopping her from being completely naked was her lilac bra and pants. "Why couldn't you wait until you were somewhere warmer to strip off you fool" Toby laughed lovingly.
"That would have been the smart thing to do, but they were uncomfortable. So I was thinking that maybe we could go for a bath or something" She stuck her bottom lip out in pretence. "If you loved me you'd do it"
"Hmm, hot, romantic bath with my beautiful girlfriend or sitting in front of the TV watching re-runs on ABC. Fine you win" He had managed to scoop a shrieking Spencer up into his arms before finishing the sentence; he ran through the apartment to the bathroom where he finally placed her gently onto the lip of the tub so he could switch on the tap.
The bathroom started to steam up from just how hot the bath was; condensation was running down the simply painted white walls and the windows where almost impossible to see through. Spencer and Toby had gotten themselves comfortable in the piping hot water; their toes curling at the heat. Toby was sat with his back against the wall of the tub and Spencer with her back to his chest between his legs; he played absentmindedly with a stray piece of hair that was dangling down from the bun on the top of his girlfriend's hair.
"I like this" Spencer whispered, breaking the pair's complete state of relaxation.
"You like what?"
"Being able to come home from school and spend my evening with you. It's nice."
"You want to know something?" Toby whispered into her ear that was already right next to his lips. While waiting for her reply he nipped affectionately at the top of her ear; he didn't know that Spencer's stomach was doing flips as she felt his soft, plump lips nip away at her sensitive skin.
"Of course I do"
"When I was sorting the apartment out before I moved in, I would spend all day wondering what you would want to have put in. I'd planned on asking you to move in when you came to see it finished but I guess I chickened out; I thought we might have been on different pages."
"Seriously?" Toby hadn't seen the way her porcelain features lit up at his confession; a beautiful grin spreading over her face despite not being able to see the glee in her still closed eyes. "Toby I would have said yes in a heartbeat. Not that it matters now because we're both here and I never want to be anywhere else"
"Do want to know what stuff I put in for you?" He rested his chin on her bare shoulder so she could feel the vibration coming from his throat every time he spoke.
"Yes, I do"
"Well this tub was one of them actually. I saw it in an antique shop out in Brookhaven when I was looking for furniture." Spencer took a few seconds to admire just how beautiful the huge tub they were sat in was; the way it seemed to curve in all the right places making it perfect for them to sit in there together on nights like this. She had never noticed before but it was painted a beautiful pale cream colour that when she paid enough attention matched that of her own skin. "You see, I saw it and it just reminded me of you. It reminded me of your curves and your elegance; there was a grace to it that made me love it. I never thought I would connect so much with a bath tub but I guess it was the fact that it was free standing as well; it reminded me of your independence."
"I've never actually told you this but when you were working away a few months ago and things were getting hard at home; I would use the key you gave me and come here. My safe place to land wasn't there and this was the nearest thing to it. Not this tub specifically but I did spend a lot of time in it when I was here" She let out a throaty chuckle as she reminisced of the times she had told her mother that she was going to stay at Aria's just to find herself driving the familiar route to the place she would now associate with the safeness only Toby provided. She would spend nights listening to all of his favourite albums; or watching his favourite films while she sat in the comfort of the t-shirts that swamped her so stunningly.
"Did you ever stay the night?"
"That time you were away for a month, I spent every night here because my mom and dad were away with Melissa and I told them I'd stay with one of the girls for the month. I've never felt as safe anywhere as when I've either been here or with you; this place is my second best when I can't have the real thing where he should be."
"I'm glad you feel like that. That was another thing that I bought with you in mind though; the bed. I remember I went with Caleb to some stupid department store that sold cheap beds and he spent all afternoon telling me that every single bed we passed was the perfect bed." Toby laughed fondly at the memory causing a magnificent tingling feeling on her shoulder making her laugh along affectionately. "I ended up giving up and leaving in a huge sulk because I didn't find the right bed; I had no idea why I was being so fussy about it. Then we passed this bed shop on the way back into town and I saw it, it reminded me of one that you'd shown me in a magazine you were reading in the summer when we were at the Lake house. It was perfect and I knew that somehow it would make you feel like you belonged here, you belonged with me, in my arms."
"I can't wait until we actually get our own place; not just some apartment that makes it easier for us to live together instead of being cramped into this place. I mean a proper home, the place we use to bring our kids up in. Ever since that night at the Lake house last month I can't stop thinking about us, about what we're going to become. I keep thinking about this blue eyed, brown haired boy that loves us both unconditionally; just like I love you." Toby lifted his head as his girlfriend turned hers so he was staring at the perfect profile that he would gawk at in complete admiration for the rest of his life if she would let him.
"That sounds prefect Spence; I want to spend the rest of my life with you, without a shadow of a doubt." The room went into a comfortable silence as Toby planted a gentle kiss on her perfectly formed cheek.
"Spencer... Spence... Oi" Mike's face was almost parallel with Spencer's as he battled for her attention that was so obviously far away "Toby, Skype, now"
"Shit, did I miss the call?" A look of complete panic flashed on her face as she thought of not being able to speak to her beau before he left for work and carried on with his day that didn't had anything to do with her.
"No Spence, I'm here" The familiar voice crackled over the speaker of her laptop causing her heart to pound in her chest. A huge smile spread over her beautiful face as she looked towards the laptop screen only to be greeted with the gleam of his mesmerizing blue eyes.
"I'm so sorry about that baby"
"You look absolutely shattered Spence" There was a hint of sympathy in his eyes as he drank in the woman on the screen in front of him. Despite looking so tired and beaten down she still remained the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life.
"Well your son is teething so I've been up most of the night with him." She paused to look down at her beautiful son and place a loving kiss on the top of his head "but we're doing fine aren't we baby; counting down the days now though"
"What do you mean counting down the days?"
"Until the most important man in both of our lives gets home. We miss you Toby" All of the happiness on her porcelain face was drained as she looked down the camera; the sadness in her eyes broke his heart completely.
"It'll go by quicker than you think Spence honey, I promise. It's only been like a week and a half and we're both in bits" Spencer let out a dry laugh as she thought of how two weeks was such an easy task for most couples but for this couple it was like they had their leg or arm amputated and they could barely cope. "So what do my two favourite people have planned for today?"
"Well, it's the college fair at school today and you know I practically have everything sorted and the girls decided they didn't want to go. So we decided that today would be a nice day to take his nibs here to the lake."
"It'll be his first time swimming won't it?"
"Oh shit yes it will; well we might not do that. You need to be there for that" Spencer's hand lashed out in order to grab her phone so she could cancel her plans at the lake.
"No Spencer, you take him. It's a beautiful day today so make the most of it; just make sure you take loads of pictures for me to show off on the site today"
"Are you sure? I mean we can go when you get back, like all of us." The fact that she was seeking his reassurance was what made her all the more attractive to him at that specific moment in time. There was nothing better than knowing that the woman he loved most in the world, the mother of his child and his future wife wanted nothing more than to share the significant steps of their sons growing up with him meant more to him that anything.
"Yes I'm sure Spence; you deserve to have fun baby." There was a loud shout heard from the background of Toby's room.
"Yo Cavanaugh; get your shit moving. We need to be down on the site in like 10 minutes"
"One minute bro; talking to Spence" The brunette let out a muffled chuckle as she listened to the way her fiancées voice and manner changed completely when he was around his work mates; it was completely adorable.
"Wait, does she have Eli?"
"Course she does, why?" Toby's facial expression conveyed just how baffled he was.
"I want to see them both; I miss them too Cavanaugh" Suddenly the blue eyed man was shoved aside and replaced with a well built, green eyed, black haired man. There was a gleam in his eye as he smiled at the sight of his colleague's family. "Yo Spence; little Cavanaugh"
"Hey Jamie" Spencer laughed as she watched her beau's best friend make gooey faces at the giggling baby sat on her knee. "Just so you know, that is the first smile he's given all morning."
"I think I have the magic touch my dear. I'm going to come see you both when we get home, see why my buddy here talks to highly of you" Spencer watched affectionately as he boyfriend's cheeks burned up to match the colour of the red polo shirt he was wearing.
"Munroe, I think it's time you said bye to these two so I can say bye." He patted his friend on the shoulder before he gently shoved him off the bed.
"BYE SPENCER. BYE LITTLE CAVANAUGH"
"Bye Munroe"
"Right, I have to go now but I'll ring you tonight baby."
"That sounds good; I'll speak to you then."
"Bye baby; I love you both loads." Toby lifted his hand to his mouth and pretended to blow a kiss towards his loving, little family which caused his son to giggle uncontrollably.
"DUDE, THAT WAS PERHAPS THE GAYEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN YOU DO" Jamie shouted from somewhere in the background of the room they shared.
"Hey man, shut the fuck up" Toby laughed completely forgetting the presence of his son.
"TOBIAS CAVANAUGH, THAT LANGUAGE SHOULD NOT BE USED AROUND OUR SON"
"Stop right there little miss hypocrite; I've heard the way you swear when you think I'm not listening. If you don't believe me just ask Aria." Toby's response was greeted with a rather sarcastic laugh from the brunette on his screen.
"I digress; you best be going because the quicker you get this work done the sooner you can be home. I love you baby." And with that the tone to mark the end of their conversation sounded and the room was silent. She shut the laptop and moved herself so she had Elijah cradled in the nook of her arm and allowed herself to drift off into a peaceful sleep, hoping more than anything that her son would so follow.
3 hours later Spencer woke with a start at the sound of foreign footsteps making their way through her apartment; Elijah however was sleeping soundly in her arms giving her a hint of reassurance. The noises were still carrying on in the hall; the soft murmur of voices made it clear that there was more than one. However it all became clear when Spencer heard so unmistakeable sound of Hanna's laugh. She frequently glanced down at the silver watch Toby had bought her for her 18th birthday and saw the time. 11:30.
Shit.
"OH MY GOD GUYS I AM SO SO SORRY" Spencer picked herself and Elijah up and ran through out of the living room to be greeted with the entire group stood there (well minus Toby) completely ready for their day at the lake.
"Spence calm down; Mike said Eli's been teething so you were up all night last night. We get that you're tired" Aria chuckled as she walked over to goggle at the sight of her beautiful nephew sleeping in his mother's arms. "But right now you're going to give this beautiful baby to me and go sort your stuff out. You can get him changed when we get there okay?"
"I will be like 10 minutes max" She handed over the sleeping baby and was off within seconds.
By the time they had arrived at the lake the midday sun was high in the sky and there was a bittersweet feeling to the day ahead of the group. Spencer had managed to get Eli changed and prepared for the water when Ezra shouted from outside the car.
"LAST ONE TO THE WATER HAS TO DRIVE HOME"
"Ezra Fitz, you are such a child" Aria laughed as she jabbed her boyfriend in his stomach before running off ahead of him. Soon enough they were followed by Emily, Samara, Caleb, Hanna, Jason and Mike.
"Well baby, it looks like I'm driving home then" Spencer chuckled as she admired the people she considered her family interact in the practically empty lake. She began to walk towards to edge of the water so she could be nearer the fun and games without actually being involved; setting up a blanket on the ground so she could sunbathe in the company of her friends. Aria had taken Eli into the water with her and Ezra so she had some time to just relax before she took on the role of super mom.
About 15 minutes after Spencer had applied sun block and settled on the soft blanket with her eyes pressed tightly shut trying to block out the light; she was disturbed by someone, presumably a man clearing his throat just above her.
"May I help you?" Spencer questioned, still keeping her eyes held firmly shut.
"Well I was just wondering what such a pretty girl like you is doing here by herself" The confusion that was racing through her mind as to why this man's voice had seemed so familiar to her. Suddenly the link was made as her eyes flashed open to take in the sight of her beautifully sculptured fiancée stood there wearing nothing but a pair of swimming trunks and sun glasses.
"Toby" Was all she could muster as she felt a huge cluster of butterflies plague her stomach.
"So do I not get a kiss or anything?" As soon as he said that she was up in a shot and had launched herself at his solid frame; making sure that her legs were wrapped tightly around his mid section. The beautiful brunette placed a series of kisses all over his face before she finally found her way to his waiting lips.
"God I missed you" She whispered as she pulled her lips away gasping for air; their foreheads were touching as they stared deeply into each other's eyes like they had longed to do in the entire time he had been away. "I love you so much Tobias Cavanaugh"
"I missed you more baby, I love you too. I love you more than the stars Spencer Hastings-soon-to-be-Cavanaugh" In unison their faces showed a look of complete ecstasy as they continued to gaze into each other's eyes; unaware of the crowd that had gathered behind them.
"It's the Spoby reunion!" Hanna shouted as she ran over to wrap herself around Spencer's body; that was now planted firmly on the ground.
"What? How long have you lot been stood there?" Spencer laughed, completely oblivious to her friend's arrival.
"Well I think we heard the 'I love you so much Tobias Cavanaugh' bit and then we definitely heard the 'I love you more than the stars' part. So I'd say most of the time" Emily joked as she watched the beautiful couple absentmindedly play with each other's entwined hands. "But that's enough of this. I say we all make the most of Cavanaugh being here and get our asses in that water so we can play games. I know you're all dying to let out the children in all of you"
"You guys go on and play games; I just want to spend 10 minutes with my family while he's getting used to the water" Toby spoke up, his cheeks flushing an adorable shade of pink as he practically admitted to the rest of the group about how much he had been waiting for this moment and for that time he just wanted it to be him and them.
"Sure thing bro, we'll go further into the water then" Caleb clapped the taller man on the back before he peeled his girlfriend away from the brunette and ran straight into the water with her in his arms.
"CALEB RIVERS YOU PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT" the blonde shouted and within seconds a huge splash was heard from near the middle of the lake as Caleb dropped her into the water, erupting with laughter.
The small family spent the next hour and a half in the shallow part of the lake splashing about as the youngest member laughed in complete appreciation of his parents. However he was completely oblivious to the thoughts going through their head's as they were slowly but surely joined by every other member that made up their amazing family.
"Guys can I just say something?" Toby questioned, almost shouting above the gleeful noise of everyone else.
"What's up Cavanaugh?" Jason asked in confusion.
"I just want to say that no matter what A throws at us, we will never be able to forget the days like this. The good days we spent as a family. I honestly don't know where I'd be without you all." As if they were living a huge cliché the all huddled together in the water, joining together in an 8 way group hug.
AN: Hi guys, sorry it's taken so long for me to do another chapter but I've had school work to do and family stuff to sort out but I promise I am now back and I will bring this story to a close soon. But don't worry there will be a sequel and it will be epic.
Thank you all so much for reading, I appreciate it more than anything! Love you guys! -Chloe :-)xxx