Hello, so I'm back with a new story. This story is kind of based off the idea of my other story True Love Never Dies, but I'm taking the idea and twisting it a bit. First, a few things to note: This is AU, there is no -A, Maya is alive, Toby never got his GED, and Spencer and Toby went to Penn U together. I think that covers everything. Please feel free to review. Hope you enjoy the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars or the characters.
The Little Moments
Prologue
Love was one thing Spencer and Toby knew best. They had been dating for three years and were still going strong when they had entered college. Every one of their friends had known Toby was going to propose to her when the two had graduated, but Toby never got the chance. At the end of their second year Spencer suddenly dropped out disappearing off the face of the Earth with only three words left behind: "It's over." to Toby and "Goodbye." to her three best friends. Spencer stayed gone up until a tragic event brought her back three years later.
Chapter One: What Started it All
The tragic event started on beautiful day in Rosewood. A shining sun and a nearly cloudless blue sky accompanied the beautiful day giving more life to the blossoming flowers and the well manicured lawns that Rosewood was known for along with stunning houses and perfect families.
Late afternoon approached with warm temperatures and the shining sun slowly falling in the darkening sky. One family in Rosewood was placing kisses all over their baby boy's face prolonging their leave for date night. Their babysitter for the night finally put a stop to their plentiful kisses saving the baby boy from his face being completely covered in red lipstick and clear lip gloss. "Hey, hey! You giving the boy more kisses than he needs for the next five years!"
The parents giggled giving a kiss on the cheek to their longtime friend Toby. "Thank you again Toby. You're the only reason Emily said yes to this date night," Maya commented.
"Is not!" Emily remarked giving her wife a look.
Maya ignored Emily's remark by giving her baby boy a kiss on his sweet nose. "Goodbye my sweet boy." Without knowing those were her last words to her son, Maya walked off the porch to her car.
Emily stayed a few moments longer on the porch to give her son a finale kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye Jace, bye Toby." Emily followed Maya's path to the car.
Toby stayed standing on the porch holding baby Jace. As Maya pulled out of the driveway Toby grabbed Jace's wrist shaking it up and down to signal waving goodbye. Once the silver car was out of view Toby brought Jace back inside bouncing the baby boy a little in his arms. "How about we play with the blocks Jace, and build a castle?"
Jace nodded his head excitedly giving Toby a toothless grin. "Yeah, yeah!"
The happy couple laughed and laughed enjoying themselves on the car ride home. Their date night had gone wonderfully lasting until nightfall, a little longer than they had expected it to last. Soft music playing from the radio was giving off the right sound for the mood in the car. They held hands with Maya brushing her thumb back and forth on the back of Emily's hand. Their laughter faded out as they caught their breaths. Turning her head to catch her wife's eye, Maya smiled over at Emily. "I love you so much," Maya whispered lovingly.
"I love you too," Emily replied giving Maya a radiant smile back and then a feather light kiss on the hand.
With Maya's eyes back on the road she saw some swerving headlights ahead. They looked suspicious, so Maya kept a close eye on them while directing the car closer to the edge of the street. But, suddenly as Maya directed the car to the side the swerving headlights approached at mad speed. Maya quickly unlaced her right hand from Emily's to have another hand on the wheel to swerve away from the car, but it was already too late. The car made its impact giving Maya only a second to lock eyes with her panicked wife. Then everything went black.
A running Toby entered the hospital at great speed holding a young boy in his arms. Reaching the reception desk he gasped out, "Where is Emily Field's room?"
The lady behind the desk scanned through her computer at a slow pace taking her time to find Emily's room. Right when Toby was about to snap the lady turned her attention to him. "Room 413, fourth floor."
Toby gave the receptionist a muffled thanks before racing off to the elevators. On the fourth floor Toby headed down the fluorescent lighted halls before stopping in front of room 413. The door swung open reveling an older man dressed in a white coat. His sad grey eyes landed on a panicked and worrisome Toby. "Ah, uh, Mr. Cavanaugh?"
"Yes, is she okay? Is something wrong? What happened?" Where's Maya, her wife?" Toby rushed out the questions that were rambling in his brain.
"Now Mr. Cavanaugh, for what I am about to tell you I need you to be calm and ask questions when I am done." Toby nodded his head taking deep breaths to calm himself down. "Tonight there was a terrible accident involving a drunk driver and your friends. Mrs. Fields-Maya-was killed on sight, but your friend Emily just barely made it out alive," the doctor informed him.
Grief hit Toby smack in the face. Maya was a close friend of his due to his close friendship with Emily. Before Toby had time to think more on the subject, the doctor had continued on with his explanation. "That is why Ms. Fields has ask me to call you here. Due to the impact of the crash Ms. Fields lost a great deal of blood and has a great deal of brain damage; it does not show great signs of her making it through."
"What-what do you mean?"
The doctor set an aged hand on Toby's broad shoulder. "Ms. Fields has requested a last word with you and her son." The doctor patted Toby's broad shoulder. "I'm sorry young man for your losses tonight."
The doctor moved on leaving Toby on his own with baby Jace in his arms. Slowly, the doctor's words sank in painfully, triggering tears to well up in his eyes and fall silently down his cheeks as he turned to face room 413. Toby was not prepared for what he saw on the inside of the room, though. More tears fell at the sight of Emily. The long brown waves and deep chocolate eyed friend of his was lying in the hospital bed with colorful bruises covering every inch of her beautifully tanned skin. A long cut stretched from the bottom of her attached ear lobe up to her eyebrow along with other, smaller cut marks decorating her face. White gauze was wrapped around her head several times with a deep red color bleeding through the gauze by her left temple. Only her right arm and right leg were in casts to show any bones that had been broken. But, this didn't look like the Emily Toby knew: this looked like a broken glass doll abandoned on the floor.
"Em," Toby whispered setting down baby Jace in the guest chair. "Em?"
Emily's eyes twitched open slowly and a small groan passed through her spilt lip. Toby ran over to her kneeling by her side grabbing her open hand gently. "Tobes?"
"Yes, Emily, I'm right here." The words came out of his mouth breathy and barely audible.
"I know it'd be too late for all you get here, so needed to choose." Emily took a breath. "I hope they'll understand. I chose you."
Toby shook his head with hot tears spilling faster than before when he realized what she meant. "No…no, Em, don't talk like that. You are going to pull through Em; I know you will."
"It is too late Toby, and I know it is, so I can't be greedy and wanting to tell everyone how a feel about them and how much I thank them for being in my life." Emily gave him a watery smile as tears too were surrounding the corners of her eyes. Toby continued to shake his head no though. "So, I chose you because without you I wouldn't have come out of the closet. And I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me, and sadly I know I can never repay it. I want to thank you for accepting me for who I am and telling me I shouldn't care what others think about it. Thank you for that. You helped me see that."
Another shaky breath was taken. "You were and always will be my best friend. The girls were my sisters and you were like my brother. You were always there for me when I needed you, you listened to all my problems, and you were the perfect shoulder to cry on. I love you Toby with all of my heart."
"I love you too Em, but…it-can't…"
"It is. I can feel it Toby. Can you please bring me Jace?"
Toby did as she asked bringing the two year old to his mommy. He set him down by Emily's good arm so she could curl it around her baby boy. Seeing tears in his mommy's eyes Jace frowned placing his tiny fingers on his mommy's cheek. "Mommy?"
Another watery smile appeared on Emily's face. "Yes, Jace, Mommy's here. Mommy's not going to be here for much longer. Remember that place where Mommy's grandparents are? Heaven?" Jace nodded his head hearing the H word and remembering it during story time. "Mommy's going to go there, but Mommy wanted to say goodbye first."
Emily's words were slower and quieter as time ticked on. "Mommy wants you to grow up to be a strong, smart, and kind man. I want you to be who you are and not change yourself for anybody. I want you to never give up on anything. I want you to reach for your dreams and succeed in life. But, most of all I want you to be happy and enjoy life. You have to live to the fullest not caring what people say or think about you. Life will be much happier and easier if you do that. Also I want you to know that even though you are not my son I always loved you like you were my own, and Mama loves you too. I love you Jace, and I always will."
Emily turned her head slight towards Toby wincing. They locked eyes. "You'll tell him all of this when he is older, so he'll understand what I have said. Please?" Her words came out in a soft whisper.
"Anything for you."
"I love you both very, very much," Emily announced once again. Jace drifted his hand down and touched his tiny hand to his chest then to his mommy's chest right where her heart was. It was Jace's special way of showing his love since he could not produce the three words. "I-I wi-wish I didn't ha-have to say goodbye, but…I'm g-going to be wi-with Maya again."
Emily slid her eyelids shut for the very last time and the rhythmic beating of his mommy's heart slowed to a stop under Jace's hand. The two year old boy began to cry. Toby took him from his mommy's side and held him close to comfort the boy as well as himself. His best friend was gone.