A/N: I love Toby and Spencer, but Wren and Spencer are my OTP. Mostly AU.

Not By Chance

Although the other girls had long gone, Spencer was still very much wide awake. What had Wren been doing with Melissa? Was he a part of all this? She fell back onto the couch, a sigh of exasperation on her lips. It had seemed like he was involved somehow, but she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. She simply could not bring herself to believe that Wren would involve himself with something like this or maybe her problem was that he was getting involved with Melissa again, even on a nonromantic level.

Spencer chided herself for even thinking that that was the problem. She was in love with Toby. The idea that she was a little jealous right now was completely preposterous. Completely and utterly preposterous.

Or maybe not.

She glanced at her phone, wondering whether or not Toby might still be awake. She felt like being with him would help ease her mind, reaffirm that he was the only one she had any feelings for.

Liar, Liar.

Spencer pursed her lips in frustration. She had always found herself attracted to her sister's boyfriends, but Wren - Wren had been different. His words from their last encounter about him having fallen for the wrong sister echoed in her mind and she felt her heart beat just a little bit faster at the reminder. In the short while that they had known one another, Spencer had fallen for him, hard, and knowing he was back now made forgetting the connection they had shared even harder.

"Thinking about me?" a voice sounded off then and she jumped, grabbing a pillow to protect herself.

Yeah, like that would help.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Spencer hissed, remaining where she was huddled on the couch.

Wren was leaning against the doorframe, arms across his chest, a smirk on his face. And that accent, she thought to herself, unknowingly licking her lips. Hot damn.

"Melissa gave me a key again recently," he told her, waiting for her to pretend like she had no idea whatsoever that he had been in contact with her older sister again.

"Oh really? I didn't know you two kept in touch," she commented nonchalantly, her mind reeling back to the scene she and her friends had witnessed earlier in the night.

"Oh," he echoed, taking a step into the house. "So, you and your friends weren't spying on Melissa and me behind the bushes earlier tonight?"

He took his time to look around the house before his amused gaze met her shocked one.

"You knew we were there?" she questioned, putting the pillow she had been holding down and getting up from the couch.

She stalked over toward him.

"We barely made a sound!" she continued in protest, hands on her hips.

The corner of his lips tugged up into a genuine smile, having been reminded of that spunk of hers he loved so much. He took another casual step toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. Resting his hands lightly on her hips, he watched as she allowed her arms to drop to her sides in response. She was so adorable with her slightly flushed cheeks, her hitched breathing, and then there was the fact that her eyes kept falling to his lips (as his did to hers).

"Always had a radar when it came to you," he murmured, wanting to close what little distance remained between them.

"No," Spencer told him firmly, pushing at his chest as he continued to hold her in his arms.

Her voice had been more adamant than he had expected and being the smart man that he was, he let her go, caving in to her wishes. In truth, Wren would do anything for this girl. Even after being apart for so long, he was still completely enamored with her. Each new quirk of hers he discovered was simply another aspect of her to dote on and the way she was chewing on her lower lip nervously at the moment only made him want her more.

"What were you doing with my sister?" Spencer finally asked when she had recomposed herself, the renewed attraction between them paralyzing.

(Perhaps, their fondness for one another had never left, had merely been dormant while they had been apart.)

Wren shook his head at her question, having promised Melissa that he would keep quiet about everything involving Ian. You owe me, she had insisted, and he knew she was right. Even though he realized what he had done to Melissa while they were engaged hardly painted the picture of a loyal man, he was truly that at his very core. Spencer Hastings had merely been the first person to challenge that, to put desire before morality, to put his heart before logic. He was so whipped and sadly, the brunette didn't seem all that interested in him anymore.

"I can't say," he answered her honestly, reaching out to grab her hand and run his thumb in dizzying circles on her soft skin. "But we haven't rekindled our relationship if that's what you're worried about."

Spencer jerked her hand out of his then and avoided his gaze, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"Why would I be worried about that?" she retorted, the voice in her head reminding her that she was in love with Toby, although every nerve of her body was aching for Wren.

"You tell me," Wren responded, wearing a much more serious expression on his face now.

"I can't think of any reason," she assured him, going to the kitchen to get herself a glass of orange juice. "Rosewood's a small town. You must know I'm dating Toby by now."

What she really needed was a drink.

He frowned when he heard 'Toby' fall from her lips. She had said his name with such affection, causing a surge of jealousy to course through his blood.

"You and Toby," he echoed, pretending like he didn't really care, but failing miserably. "Yeah, I remember your sister mentioning that in passing."

She crinkled her nose at his response, a look of confusion taking over her delicate features. The tone of his voice seemed to suggest that she had mistaken him for someone who gave a shit and yet, his eyes - those gorgeous eyes - were telling her he still cared, that he still had feelings for her. Spencer had always been good at reading people and Wren was no exception.

Somehow, knowing that he was still interested in her had her heart racing. Her throat became dry, her hands felt clammy and suddenly, the house seemed to shrink, the walls closing in around her. She was so engrossed in maintaining her cool, composing herself, that she failed to notice that he had approached her again because he too had noticed the loving look in her eyes. He knew when he had really watched those warm, auburn eyes for a moment that Spencer Hastings still very much had feelings for him as he did for her.

When she finally snapped to and realized how close his lips were to hers, it was too late. Her protests were consumed by his lips, which felt familiar, a good sort of familiar, and despite the initial resistance to his advances, she found herself melting into his touch. She let go of her inhibitions. Even the initial guilt she felt seemed to evaporate as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, kissing her with fervor.

They entered into a world of their own. It felt like they were two lovers who had been separated by a dreadful war only to be brought together twenty years later by destiny. Spencer found the sentiment romantic and she relished in the storybook moment, while Wren was simply doing all he could to make this memorable for her. He knew of her passion for books and he hoped that what they were creating here together was a scene she had always dreamed would happen to herself.

When they finally pulled away from one another, he was grinning from ear to ear, and she shared his wide smile for a moment before looking absolutely horrified. Wren sighed, his face falling again as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Reality had come back to slap them both in the face. He was still the asshole who had cheated on Melissa with her sister and she was now the sister who had cheated on Toby with the asshole. They had come full circle and someone was going to get hurt. He only wished he wouldn't be the one with the broken heart.

The next morning, Spencer went to see Toby. After she had convinced Wren to leave, making promises to call him, she had gone to bed, but sleep never came. All night she had been tossing and turning, the guilt absolutely eating away at every fiber of her being. How could she have so easily cheated on Toby like that? She had called her friends immediately. Aria told her to be careful of Wren, Hanna let out a loud 'whoop!', commenting that Wren was 'hot stuff', and then there was Emily who had remained silent for a long while before telling her that she owed Toby the truth.

Ultimately, her phone call with Emily had stuck with her the most and she had decided to tell him the next morning, no matter the consequence. What kind of consequence was she hoping for? Did she want things to end between her and Toby or had she come here ready to beg for his forgiveness? Maybe she shouldn't tell him after all, not yet anyway. Maybe she should figure out her feelings first before confronting him with the truth.

Just then, her cell phone notified her of a new text message. She froze, the electronic device gripped tightly in her hand. Not A, she prayed, closing her eyes as she opened the message. Please, not A. How optimistic of her.

Tell him now or I will. - A

Spencer huffed as she rang the doorbell, rolling her eyes in frustration. She knew better than to disobey her. She was too tired to rebel against her anymore. She waited patiently for someone to answer the door and was relieved when Toby did. Apparently no one else was home and Spencer was at the very least grateful for that.

"Hey," Toby murmured when he saw her, a wide smile spreading over his face.

He wrapped his arms around her immediately, pulling her into a familiar hug. She breathed him in, hugging him close before her guilt got the better of her.

"Toby, we need to talk," she announced, avoiding his gaze, casting hers downward at the floor.

"Uh oh," he teased her, taking her hand and leading her into the living room. "Nothing ever ends well with that line."

He watched her with his piercing blue eyes, waiting for her to speak. Licking her lips in anticipation, she wrung her hands nervously in her lap. The motions did not go unnoticed by Toby, who shifted a little closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders, wanting to be there for her.

Giving her a tight squeeze, he encouraged her, "Come on, Spence, you know you can tell me anything."

She grabbed his hand in hers, taking a deep breath before finally deciding to tell him the truth.

"Toby, last night," she started, hesitant in her words. "Wren and I kissed."

She closed her eyes immediately afterward, not daring to look at him, but from how he tightened his grip around her upon hearing the news, she knew he was hurt.

"Why?" he asked her, trying to keep calm, but she could tell he was moments away from letting his emotions run wild. "I thought you said you loved me."

Her lips quivered slightly upon his reminder. How could she have been so selfish, admitting to Toby that she loved him and then kissing Wren so soon afterward? She was a terrible person. She should have administered more self control.

"I did," she assured him, turning toward him. "I do. I'm so sorry."

She held her head in her hands, tears flowing down her cheeks when he loosened his hold around her. She heard him head toward the kitchen and she could picture his every move, his every facial expression in her head. She had single-handedly ruined their blossoming relationship and for what? Wren? Suddenly, Spencer felt completely stupid. Toby loved her. He was good to her, loyal. Wren, on the other hand, was attracted to her. He wanted her now, but what about tomorrow? How well did she know him to predict that? Toby was safe. Wren was a risk and Spencer was never one to take risks unless absolutely necessary, when taking that risk meant protecting the people she loved.

Oh God, what had she done?

"Toby?" she called out to him in desperation from the living room, her voice shaky though she made a solid effort to keep herself collected.

She still had a chance to fix things, she hoped silently, her heart dropping when she got no response from him. So this was the consequence of her actions. A sad smile crossed her lips at her realization. Of course. What else had she expected? A was probably somewhere laughing right now, relishing in her pain, but did she really have anyone to blame but herself?

Finally, she got up slowly from the couch in defeat and opened the front door, fully prepared to leave. She had done enough damage for one day, but then she felt his hand on her wrist and he whirled her around, whispering against her lips, 'Stay.' So she did because Toby loved her, because he swore that he always would.

(Never mind that their usual spark seemed to be missing when he brushed his lips against hers ever so lightly seconds later.)

Spencer sat patiently in the waiting area for him. The nurse had assured her that Wren would be with her shortly. About three months had passed since Toby had forgiven her for that one misguided night. Their relationship was still good, predictable but good. From time to time, she would think about Wren, but not ten minutes later she would convince herself that she had done the right thing, that she had chosen the right person to be in a relationship with.

Last night though, a certain piece of the news at the dinner table had brought everything into perspective for her. She realized she had stayed with Toby because he was safe, because the last thing she had wanted to do was to hurt him, because he deserved better, but the truth was that she was hurting everyone involved. She had left Wren with a broken heart, she was lying to Toby, and most importantly, she was deceiving herself.

"Yeah", Melissa had confirmed for her parents at the dinner table. "Wren plans to resign at the end of the week. I hear he plans to move to Canada and open up his own practice there."

(Her older sister had been distraught for quite some time after Ian was arrested, but she was doing much better now.)

So here she was now, waiting to speak with him, hoping that she might give him a reason to stay in Rosewood. She had made the mistake of letting him go once. She would be a fool to commit the same error again.

"Spencer," she heard him say her name and she looked up to see that familiar boyish smile on his face. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Been three months you know since we last talked."

She grimaced a little as she recalled that phone call, the one she had made to tell him she had chosen Toby. There had been a short silence before he whispered an 'okay' and hung up the phone.

"Can you not go to Canada please?" she blurted out, starting somewhere, anywhere, since she had no clue where to begin.

The smile on his face disappeared instantly and he looked left and right before pulling her into the supplies closet nearby.

"Melissa spilled the beans, huh?" he asked her, although he already knew the answer.

He had accidentally let his plans slip to his ex-fiancée, who (being the nosy girl she was) simply had to know why. He had hesitated at first, but then he told her and surprisingly, she had not been shocked.

"I see the way you look at her," Melissa had merely explained her lack of shock with a nonchalant shrug, inadvertently giving them her blessing.

He had appreciated her support. He still did, but Spencer was with Toby. She had chosen him and who was he to question her decision?

"Yeah, she did," Spencer confirmed, biting nervously on her lower lip.

He nodded, a unexpectedly comfortable silence falling between them.

"So, you want me to stay?" he finally spoke up, his eyebrows stitched together in uncertainty, her expression mirroring his own.

"Yes," she answered before cautiously adding, "A lot of people want you to stay, your colleagues, your patients, Melissa, etc."

"Ah," he sounded, making every effort to keep a serious look on his face though his air was mocking.

He could tell from her mannerisms that she was hoping that she was reason enough for him to stay (though she would refuse to say those exact words he knew) and she was, but he was still slightly upset that she had chosen Toby over him, that she had broken his heart.

"Yeah, a lot of people want you to stay, but I need you to stay," she clarified, taking a bold step toward him, unsure of where this sudden burst of inner strength was coming from. "Wren, I broke up with Toby last night. When I heard you were leaving, I realized I was in love with you. I am in love with you. I have been from the moment we laid eyes on each other. I know that now."

He froze upon hearing her confession, a confession he had heard countless times in his dreams, except this time, this time Spencer was really standing before him. This time, everything was real. The brunette, however, took his silence as rejection, tears starting to well up in her eyes as she turned on her heels to leave.

She rested her hand on the door handle only to stop her movements when he asked from behind her, "Spencer, where are you going?"

She let out a sarcastic chuckle as a few tears escaped from her eyes.

"Home to mend my broken heart," she whispered, swinging the door open, one foot out the door.

She deserved this, she thought to herself demurely, but then she felt his hand on her wrist and he whirled her around, holding her head in his hands and kissing away her tears.

"I can do that. I am a certified doctor, you know," he reminded her teasingly as he pulled away, his boyish smile returning to his lips.

Spencer stared at him, momentarily paralyzed as he had been earlier. An impossibly wide grin took over her face once the reality of his words really sank in. His hands slid down to her waist and she looped her arms around his neck, her heart beating impossibly fast when she finally heard his 'I love you too.' Needless to say, Wren had decided to stay in Rosewood. There was sort of this one beautiful brunette who had given him every reason to.