Chapter Thirteen: The First Flashback

Very unexpected, right? Jace's mother is Spencer. Who would've guessed that? Life does have ways to twist the mind. But, who's the father? Okay, okay, that one is a sure give away. At least, Spencer knows. And speaking of our dear Spencer we might want to give her some luck, because she's about to fall into one of her first flashbacks.

And everything that was perfect soon crumbled down to a complicated pile of mess. Spencer didn't get one wink of sleep that night as all the memories came crashing down on her suffocating her brain and forcing her to replay every single memory. Her brain was fried by morning with bloodshot eyes to match. Her position hadn't moved an inch all night. Mocha colored eyes were still blankly staring at the wall in front of her with an abandoned letter in her lap. Why did her past have to catch up to her now?

Spencer found herself in Jace's room, eyes glued to the boy who chad caused her to lose all her sleep last night. But, that wasn't the only problem he had caused. Back at the end of Spencer's second year of college he was the uninvited guest that was the main reason why she broke up with Toby and disappeared. Though, he was never supposed to come back into her life. She was supposed to forget all about those nine months of pregnancy and hours of agonizing labor just to pop him out.

At the moment Spencer was not prepared to deal with him. She wanted to be as far away from him as possible, but that couldn't happen since Toby was at work and she was to watch Jace. With a light bulb popping up above her head Spencer exited Jace's room to go throw some clothes on.

Back in Jace's room Spencer wondered how she would move him without waking him. Having only one option Spencer took three deep breaths and walked over to Jace's bed. The three year old was sleeping soundly when Spencer approached him. Encouraging herself Spencer pulled back his covers noticing he was still wrapped in his baby blanket. She carefully unwrapped Jace from his baby blanket tossing it aside. Now sliding her hands under his small body she lifted him into her arms resulting in her falling into her first flashback.

Melissa looks up at her younger sister with pride in her brown eyes. Spencer looks at the pink bundle in Melissa's arms before meeting her sister's gaze. Melissa smiles lightly and beckons for her to come to her. Spencer does standing right next to her older sister. "Do you want to hold her?"

Spencer sends a gulp down her dry throat slightly reaching out her arms for Melissa to place the baby niece of hers in them. Inside Spencer's heart is beating rapidly making her palms clammy. She scolds her nervousness and reminds herself for the fifth time today that she was doing this for Toby and Taylor. Recently Toby has been mentioning babies asking what their baby will look like. As much as she hates the idea of having a child she takes note of the implication of a future for them together. So, she decides if she wants a future with Toby and it means she has to have a child, she'll push back her displeasure towards children for Toby. She chooses to start this change of feeling with her brand new niece Taylor.

After the Ian Thing during Spencer's junior year in high school Melissa and Spencer got closer. Melissa also met a doctor to be forgetting all about Ian. The doctor to be-Wren-proposed to Melissa and they had their wedding during the summer before Spencer's senior year, and much to Spencer's surprise Melissa asked her to be her maid of honor. About five months later Melissa informed Spencer that she was going to be an aunt, because Melissa was expecting.

Now here they are. Spencer inhales a deep breath and lets it out before Melissa places the pink bundle containing Taylor in her arms. Spencer does as Melissa instructs holding Taylor properly. But as soon as Taylor lay in Spencer's arms she begins to cry. Melissa's brown eyes widen. "Wren, dear, can you get me Taylor?"

All you could see was panic in Spencer's eyes. Wren, Melissa's British husband, strolls over and retrieves the crying baby from Spencer's arms giving her to Melissa. Melissa rocks Taylor back and forth quieting the baby girl's cries. "Maybe she's just hungry," Melissa says to her frozen younger sister.

Spencer excuses herself from the room going to go get a cup of coffee to calm herself down. Melissa frowns and looks at the door her sister left out of with slight pain in her eyes. Wren sees this and comforts his wife by rubbing her shoulders. Being Spencer's older sister and growing up with her Melissa knows that Spencer did not like children at all finding them more as a waste of time, space, and money. Also being close with Spencer Melissa knows that Spencer was trying to change those feelings since Toby was mentioning babies and Spencer wanted a future with him even if it meant having a child.

Spencer comes back with coffee flowing in her veins and determination in her expression. Once again Spencer has Taylor placed in her arms, but the baby is taken away from her because Taylor beings to cry. Throughout the day Spencer tries and tries to hold her niece with only results of pure failure. On the fifth try Spencer finally snaps when Taylor beings to cry. "Why are you crying? What am I doing wrong?"

Taylor beings wailing and squirming in Spencer's arms and Melissa's motherly instinct to protect her child come to show. "Don't you yell at my child! Wren please get Taylor."

Wren quickly takes his daughter out of Spencer's arms. "She won't stop crying!" Spencer growls as soon as she is free of the baby.

"I don't care! That gives you no right to yell at my child!" Melissa declares with a sharp tone.

Both sisters glare at each other with intensity in their matching brown eyes. Wren stays out of the sister fight knowing the Hastings sisters get in very heated arguments. To much surprise, the older sister backs down first in taking clams breaths. "I understand you are frustrated right now Spencer. Please don't yell at Taylor."

"Of course I'm frustrated!" Spencer grits her teeth in annoyance. "Your baby won't cry when anybody else holds her, but as soon as I do she wines her mouth off. What is wrong with your stupid baby?"

Melissa's lips thin into a straight line and her eyes narrow dangerously. "That's it! I'm done with you! I am sick of your annoying attitude! My baby is not stupid. I ban you from seeing my child!"

Spencer gapes at her older sister in pure shock. She opens to her mouth to apologize, but Melissa plows on. "Get out of here! I don't want to see your face ever again!"

Knowing his wife was getting extremely emotional Wren pleads Spencer to go. Spencer gives both of them a look of venom before spinning on her heel and storming out of the hospital room not to be seen again.

Melissa holds onto her grudge keeping her word with a very stubborn attitude not to be changed by Wren. She even got her parents to turn on Spencer just like in junior year. The two sisters don't talk or see each other letting a year pass by. But as a year passes and a couple months fly by Spencer finds herself needing her older sister.

Spencer feels tears streaming down her face as she hears Melissa's cheery voice telling her sorry she missed her call and will call her back for the eighth time. Spencer chokes on her sobs trying to keep them down as she quickly redials Melissa's number. Once again Melissa refuses to answer her phone letting it go to voicemail.

Just as Spencer falls to her knees and completely breaks down Emily enters Spencer and Toby's apartment calling her name. Emily registers that her friend is crying and rushes to kneel by her side. Holding her crying friend against her Emily sees a pregnancy test in her hand with a pink plus sign on it. "Spence, you're not…"

Spencer chokes out a yes sobbing even harder. Emily squeezes Spencer tighter closing her eyes and leaning her head against Spencer's. "It's okay. You are going to get through this," Emily whispers softly rubbing her back.

The doorbell rings snapping Spencer out of her nightmare of a flashback. Spencer glances down seeing Jace is still sleeping while in her arms. Something stabs her in her heart at the fact that she had never held Jace before, but he wasn't crying. Tucking him back into bed Spencer races downstairs to go answer the door. To her surprise the blonde friend of hers is standing on the porch. "Hey Spence!"

"May I ask why you are here Hanna?" Spencer wondered out loud as her mind as running with possibilities.

"I have something I need to ask you and I thought I'd do it in person," Hanna answers. "Can I come in or is this a bad time?"

Spencer steps aside. "No, you can come in."

They walk down the hall and go sit in the family room to talk. Hanna sits on the edge of the couch observing that Jace was not in the room with them. "Where's Jace?"

Blinking, Spencer remembered that it was past Jace's time to wake up and eat breakfast. "He was woken up by the storm last night. I'm letting him sleep in a bit longer," Spencer said quickly saving herself from her slipup.

Hanna nodded her head understanding. "So, what I needed to ask you is, well…my boss is making me have this party; she threatening my job if I don't. And the thing is I have a small apartment and do does Aria. My boss had this huge invite list that won't fit in either apartment…"

"Spit it out Hanna," Spencer requested sharply.

"Could I have the party here?" Hanna blurted out.