I know, I know, it's been, like, 10 years since I've updated, and I'm really sorry. I've been really busy these past couple of days, and to be honest I haven't been in a very FanFiction-y mood. My life is kind of subpar right now, guys, but I still feel horrible about leaving you guys off at the most intense chapter in this story. But I'm back now!

But first... (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT OH MY GOD)

That Halloween episode... WHY WAS THAT LITERALLY THE BEST EPISODE OF THIS SHOW THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN?! There was absolutely no dull moment in that episode. First of all, I really like that Miranda chick, and I like her even more now that it seems like she and Caleb will just remain friends. Although... that Haleb goodbye was not a good as I expected. I wanted SO MUCH MORE! Still beautiful, though, and Caleb is beautiful and perfect and I'm so sad that I won't be seeing his beautiful face on my TV screen anymore (I don't think I'm gonna be watching Ravenswood... doesn't look like it's for me). Second of all, EZRA! His creepiness this episode made me so sad, but so EXCITED! Why does he have to be so GOOD at it? And okay, Aria HAS to be suspicious of him. ALL of the girls have to. With the music at the end of this episode and the intensity in the last scene, you could just TELL! I feel like Aria suspects something but is just in denial for now. But with Grunwald's "One of you has been touched by the person Alison fears the most" and the end scene with Alison(!) fleeing when Ezra appeared, I think she knows. Although it looked like Spencer suspected TOBY again when Grunwald said that... So. Many. Thoughts. Third of all, ALI IS REALLY AND TRULY ALIVE WHAT THE FUCK! I mean we all knew it, but that scene... that was by far the MOST chilling scene that show has ever done. I was half expecting the episode to end on a cliffhanger with us not seeing her face, but when she turned around... my heart stopped beating, and I got shivers up and down my arms and all through my spine. This show is actually perfect. 4B CANNOT come soon enough!

Okay, now that I am back to breathing normally... your chapter.


"God, I'm starving," Caleb whined. "How long has it been?"

"You wimp, we've barely been out here for half an hour," Paige said, rolling her eyes as she came to sat down on the shore. "And besides, can't your so called magical hacker wand get us some food?"

"No," Caleb groaned as he reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked like two broken off parts of the same tree branch.

No one needed to ask to know that this was his wand.

"It broke when the car crashed," he grumbled bitterly. "All 10 inches of Alder wood and Phoenix feather, all seven years of hard work down the drain!"

Everyone froze. They were all scattered about at different parts of the beach, but when Caleb exclaimed this, they all stopped. Caleb's wand was his prized possession. Some simple spell-o-tape could solve his problem in a heartbeat, but they all knew it wouldn't be the same. Caleb had worked hard to make his wand his own, and now he would have to start from scratch.

Hanna, who was next to him, patted his knee sympathetically. "Is there anything that I can do?" she asked softly.

At the mere sound of her voice, Caleb's scowl disappeared. He turned to her, a newfound, genuine smile on his face. "As a matter of fact, there is," he said thoughtfully.

"And what is that?"

"Be here," he said sincerely. "With me. Just stay here, and I'll get over it."

Hanna smiled as she clasped her hand into Caleb's. "You have yourself a deal, Rivers," she whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder, and he leaned over to kiss her hair.

Meanwhile, Ezra walked up to the scene from further down the beach, looking confused. "Anyone seen Toby?"

Emily, leaning up against a tree next to Aria, sat up. "He probably just went to look for food."

"Well tell him to bring me some," Caleb grumbled, while Paige just rolled her eyes again.

"Why can't men go 5 minutes without food?"

"I can, thank you very much!" Caleb snapped. "But we don't know how long we're gonna be here!"

"No, guys, he's not looking for food," Ezra interjected finally. "I've looked everywhere, and he's not here."

Now everyone's attention was caught. Aria lurched forward from her repose, removing her hand from her bleeding arm. "What are you saying..."

"Guys, n-no," Hanna stuttered. "I know what you're all thinking, and it's not true. He can't be lost."

"It sure seems like it," Emily said mournfully.

"But where would he have gone?" Hanna argued. "He has to be here somewhere!"

"Well should we look around?"

Before Hanna could respond, Paige leapt up from her spot on the sand. "Guys..."

She was looking off into the distance, and everyone followed her gaze. It was barely there, but the gang could just barely make out a wisp of a figure. A figure thin in texture, but large in size.

"What is it?" Hanna wondered out loud, as Emily squinted to get a better look.

"I think it might be a dog?" she guessed. Aria stepped up next to them, narrowing her eyes into focus as well. As soon as she got a good look, her heart leaped into her throat, a single phrase resounding throughout her head as a memory came to mind.

Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"It's Spencer," she whispered, pointing a shaking finger up to the Patronus, shaped like a bloodhound, soaring through the air.


"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Spencer cried, staring up the tunnel with laser vision as tears streamed down her face. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

"Spencer, you've screamed the spell enough!" Toby croaked as a stream of white light shot upward through the tunnel.

"I DON'T CARE!" she snapped at him as she directed her wand upward again, ready to strike once more, but before she could react Toby grabbed it out of her hands.

Spencer whipped around. "GIVE IT BACK TOBY!"

"They'll be here soon!" he said softly as he reached forward to wipe the tears from her face, but she walked - no, limped, since her leg was still in excruciating pain - in the other direction.

"What if they didn't see it?" she spoke through her sobs. "They won't know th-that they're safe now. They won't - "

"You can't think like that," he said reassuringly. He then tried to encompass her in his arms, but she pushed him away as she wrapped her own arms around her trembling frame, turning her back to him.

"Stay away from me," she growled, as Toby's eyes widened.

"Spencer, stop this," he said sternly. "You're going to make yourself sick."

At this, Spencer froze. "M-make... myself... sick?"

Toby gulped. Had he struck a nerve?

Spencer turned around to face Toby and reached up to wipe a stray tear away as her features hardened. "Do you really think I care about making myself sick right now? Our friends and the entire school are still out there somewhere, who knows where Noel and Mona are, Lucas had to die for no reason other than for something for Melissa to prove, and..." She took a chance to catch her breath, to swallow any unshed tears. "And I just killed two once living things."

Toby sighed. "Spencer, one of those was a Basilisk. A fucking beast, alright? It doesn't count."

At this, Spencer turned around, eyes meeting the corpse sprawled across the ground in a heap of blood.

Blood that was technically hers.

"But one of them was my sister," she finally breathed, and with that Spencer broke down. She felt her knees go weak as she started to topple forward, but Toby was quick to catch her. Ignoring her previous request for him to stay away, he wrapped her up into his arms, holding her close as the tears broke free once and for all. As hard as he tried, muffling her up to his chest did nothing to quell the hiccupy sobs that were escaping her throat.

"I'm... I'm a murderer, Toby," Spencer squeaked, surprising herself with how weak and fragile she sounded. Toby just shook his head as he kissed her hair.

"You had to, Spence," he said firmly, trying to make himself heard over her frantic sobs. "You would never hurt anyone unless it was truly necessary."

"B-but was it really necessary for me to hurt her like that?" Spencer said softly as she looked over to Melissa. Whenever Spencer thought of Melissa before, she remembered all of the bad times: the rock hard disappointment when Melissa got something that she didn't, when their parents took Melissa's side over hers, whenever Spencer had to constantly stress over something, anything, that would make her parents proud, only to be shut down because Melissa did something that won them over more.

But she didn't think about these things now. Now, she thought of all of the times Melissa had taken care of her when she was sick. All of the times she had finished Spencer's broccoli for her when their mom wasn't looking. All of the book recommendations, all of the hand me downs, all of the things Melissa had done and the accomplishments she had made that caused Spencer to strive harder to beat her, to become the person she was today.

All of the times Spencer thought Melissa might have loved Spencer as much as Spencer loved Melissa.

"She never loved me, Toby," Spencer whimpered into Toby's robes. At this, Toby pulled back.

"It's okay, Spencer," Toby said promisingly. "I love you. And I really hope that can be enough for you."

Spencer nodded her head as she buried her head into his chest again. "I... I think it can."

Suddenly, there was a whoosh, and the sound of footsteps. Toby and Spencer broke apart to see Emily, Hanna, and Aria running toward Spencer.

"You're okay!" Emily said, relieved, as she engulfed Spencer in a huge hug. "Thank god."

Spencer let out a shaky breath as she hugged Emily back, and Hanna and Aria joined into the hug. "I'm not okay, Em," Spencer whispered. "But I'm glad you guys are."

"We were so worried about you," Hanna breathed as she buried her head into Spencer's shoulder. Aria nodded her head in agreement, until something, or someone, caught her eye.

She gulped as she averted her gaze to the gruesome sight of Melissa on the ground. "Oh my god."

Spencer looked in the direction that Aria was looking, and her heart sank. Emily and Hanna took heed, and gasped.

"Spence..." Hanna whimpered. Spencer just hung her head.

"I had to, alright?" she began, her voice quivering. "She was going to hurt you all; hurt everyone! I wouldn't let her. I wouldn't give her that power. I killed the Basilisk, and then I killed her, too."

By this point, tears were streaming down Spencer's face again. Hanna just smiled weakly as she reached forward to wipe the tears away.

"You did what you had to do," she said proudly. "And it's over now. That's what matters."

And with that, the four girls hugged, tears meeting all of their eyes as they looked back on everything that happened, thankful only for each other and that each one was safe.

There was nothing but chaos going on around them, but at least they had each other.


Aww, how cute. Anyway, there are only 2 chapters left of this story now :( but I want you all to know that this has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Writing this story and reading all of your marvelous reviews really kept me going through a hard time in my life, so I want you all to know how grateful I am for all of you. So review this chapter letting me know if you liked it or not, and I'll see you all on the other side!