Disclaimer: Once again I do not own these characters!

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Chapter 5!

Spencer sat silently on the couch, deep in thought, should she have let Toby inside, could he really still love her after she had been so brutally violated by Ian…she shuddered at the thought of her sister's evil husband, frantically trying to erase him from her mind, when suddenly there was another knock at the door. Spencer wasn't so jumpy this time but she still approached the door with trepidation, was it really her friends this time, or had Toby decided to try again?

"Who's there", she called out,

"Emily, Aria, Hanna", the girls replied respectively and Spencer eased the door open to allow her friends inside. The girls entered with caution, each aware that Spencer needed her space right now, but trying to avoid an awkward silence, Aria gently asked her how she was feeling. "Sore, tired, embarrassed", Spencer admitted, hoping that her friends would understand and they did, simply hugging her gently before changing the subject to the movies and pizza they had brought with them. Glad for the change of pace, Spencer flopped on the couch and tried to absorb herself in whatever movie they had picked out. She didn't take any pizza and although the other girls noticed they each decided against bringing up, assuming that their friend had lost her appetite for now. The movie was funny and although Spencer found it entertaining she was easily distracted by thoughts of her earlier encounter with Toby. She excused herself to get a glass of water and a few minutes later she was joined in the kitchen by Emily. Sensing that Emily had talked to Toby and knew what was on her mind, Spencer decided to broach the topic with her best friend,

"Did Toby tell you what happened", she asked,

"Ye, he did Spence and he understands that you need space right now but he just wants to be there for you, he loves you so much."

"I just feel so guilty Emily, I want him to be happy, I don't want him to have to deal with this, with me, how can I still be his girlfriend when the thought of him touching me terrifies me?"

"Spencer, Toby loves you and when you really love someone you help them deal with their pain, someday you'll let Toby touch you and kiss you again and until then he's willing to wait and just be with you in any way you'll let him."

"Maybe your right Em, I think I'll ask him to come over again later so we can talk",

"Sounds like a good idea Spence, now let's watch the end of the movie."

The girls left shortly after the movie finished, with Spencer promising to text them all later on. She and her mom ate dinner in silence, Spencer struggled to eat a forkful of pasta and excused herself, leaving a full plate behind. She had been told that her father had gone to visit Melissa in the hospital and Spencer wondered what they had told her older sister, if anything at all because Melissa and the baby were still in danger and her parents didn't want to add to the stress. Spencer resolved to forget about her sister for the moment, she had much bigger problems to deal with, she still hadn't found the courage to text Toby and ask him to come over and her bandages needed to be changed, a process which proved shameful and agonising for the young girl. Deciding it was the lesser of two evils, Spencer picked up her phone and text Toby,

*We need to talk, I was surprised to see you earlier and I panicked, come over in about an hour, Spencer*

*I'll be there, love you so much, Toby*, he instantly replied.

Knowing that she had an hour before he arrived, Spencer set about removing the bandages from her ribs, she cringed as the material brushed against her bruised skin as she located the clean wraps in the bathroom. Determined not to ask her mom for help, she gritted her teeth and wrapped the bandages tightly around her sore upper torso, before tiredly collapsing on to her bed.

When Toby arrived at his girlfriend's house an hour later he was surprised to be greeted at the door by Mrs Hastings. She informed him that Spencer had fallen asleep upstairs and that she didn't want to wake her, but that he could wait until she woke up if he wanted to. Toby sat down on the couch, politely declining Mrs Hasting's offer of a drink, his mind in overdrive with worry about his girl.

"How's she doing", he bravely questioned Spencer's slightly intimidating mother,

"She's quiet, she hasn't eaten anything, she's in a lot of pain but the girls cheered her up a bit I think and she invited you over, so that's good."

"Ye, I just been so worried, I love her so much and the thought of her being in so much pain, it kills me."

"I feel the same way but we need to take it one step at a time, allow her to open up at her own pace", Mrs Hastings trailed off as they heard Spencer coming down the stairs.

"I leave you two alone", she said before walking down the hallway and into her office.

Spencer had woken up to hear her mother and her boyfriend talking downstairs, she was glad that her mother had allowed Toby to stay as she really wanted to talk to him. She struggled to iniate the conversation, starting with an awkward, "hi",

"Hi Spence, I'm really glad you got some sleep, I know it mustn't be easy",

"Ye, it helped, I think, listen Toby, I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore, but if you do then, well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you too, but I really need a little space right now."

"I know babe and I understand, I just hope you know that I want to be with you so much, I love you and you just let me know what you need and I'll be here, ok?"

"Thanks Toby, I'll call you tomorrow ok?", she concluded as he tentatively reached for his hand.

He held her hand in his own and kissed it gently as she smiled at his thoughtfulness, before he said goodnight and left through the back door. Inside the house Spencer flopped down on the couch again, switching on some mindless television, trying to replace the reoccurring thoughts of Ian with those of her sweet, caring, Toby and hoping that when sleep came it wouldn't be filled with nightmares again.