Well hello :) I am not new to the PLL fandom, but I am new to the fanfiction fandom, if that makes sense. I've had this idea bouncing around my brain for almost a year now and I've tried so hard to ignore it, because once I start writing for a show it usually never stops (re: Community lol). But alas, my muse could not be quieted. And therefore, this little story was born and I'm kind of pleased with how it turned out.

So I've always wondered what's going to happen for the gang in the future, but when Spencer moved in with Toby this season and we were denied domestic Spoby, that's when my mind really started to wander. Hence, this story. Now it's basically all mindless fluff and there is very, very little drama. The A bullshit is over and I thought if I named who I really think is A in this story, people would think I'm crazy. So I barely give that a second thought. This story is mainly just going to be a nice futuristic look at what could possibly be. If this isn't your style, you don't have to read. Honestly, I won't be offended. :)

The chapter title comes from the song "The Gambler" by Fun. So does the story title, actually. It's a beautiful song; kind of the anthem for this story, if you will. Read, review if you like and I hope you enjoy! Constructive criticism is always welcome! Okay bye.

I knew nothing of romance, but it was love at second sight

She ends up at Columbia, which isn't UPenn, not by a long shot, but it's still an Ivy and her parents get to boast to all the members of the club about how she's the first Hastings to branch out to a new school. They of course don't mention that she didn't have much of a choice; they'd never bring up her rejection. But they are genuinely proud of her, so Spencer doesn't mind. She steers clear of the law department, despite many nudges and hints from her parents that she should pursue such a path, because if she ever turned into the kind of person who put litigations and mediations before her personal life, she would probably jump off of the Empire State Building.

Speaking of which- New York City is nothing like Rosewood, Pennsylvania. It's full of smog and it's busy and it's loud. People are incredibly rude and the subways are laden with germs and coffee costs twelve dollars. But Spencer loves the anonymity; a life of small-town gossip and endless tormenting left her with no other desire but to escape to a place where no one knew her name. When she first stepped off the train at Penn Station, no one gave her a second glance. It was humbling and it was welcoming- the city that never sleeps had far too much on its mind to worry about eighteen-year-old Spencer Hastings. That, of course, was what she loved the most.

It's how her four years at Columbia had gone. She built her schedules, attended her classes and passed with flying colors. She made friends and joined school organizations and acted as every normal undergrad would. The A texts had stopped once CeCe Drake was in custody; the blonde claimed she wasn't the ever-elusive A, but ever since she'd been imprisoned for the murder of Detective Wilden, the five girls had not once received another text. Every now and then, Spencer wonders if they'll start up again. She'll be in the middle of a mundane activity and her phone will buzz and that will immediately set off a torrent of unwanted emotion and panic. But it never turns out to be what she fears and to say she's hoping it never does would be the understatement of the century.

Once upon a time, Spencer had told the others that there was no way any of them would graduate high school. Honestly, with the near-death experiences they'd shared throughout the latter half of their high school days, they wouldn't have been shocked if they didn't make it to the end. But somehow, discovering Alison was, in fact, very much alive only helped their causes for the better. The town ceased its scorn and mockery of the girls and they were allowed to depart high school like their equals. They'd scattered across the country for college- Emily had traveled the farthest, all the way to California, with Aria representing the Syracuse Orange and Hanna spending her non-studying days (so, everyday) on the beaches of Miami. Of course, they still stayed in touch. After everything they'd been through, they were bound together for life.

Upon graduation, they'd moved back to Rosewood despite their better judgment. Their families had stayed put and they couldn't justify the move no matter how much of a disappointment they found Rosewood to be. Hanna had opened a boutique in the center of the town and it was booming with business. Emily had taken over the Rosewood Sharks swim team after her former coach retired. And Aria and Spencer pursued higher education and went on for their masters' degrees; Aria at Penn State for education and Spencer at Yale for psychology. New Haven, of course, was no New York City. It was grungier, more compact and definitely less appealing to look at. But honestly, she couldn't have been happier.

Wrong. She definitely could be happier. But thankfully, she will be if she can just make it to six o'clock. It's early November and she's in her final year of her master's program. Of course, the next natural step if she wants to actually practice what she preaches- which she does- is to get her doctorate, something her parents can't stop bragging over. Self-righteously, Spencer thinks that Melissa's never gotten a doctorate and for some reason this thought makes her insanely happy and makes her hate herself at the same time. Needless to say, she's stressing over the decision and the applications into the programs. She's also stressing over midterms and her fieldwork. She's basically a bundle of stress, but what else is new?

Right now, the menacing grey clouds are emptying pummeling, golf-ball-sized drops of fury against the thin panes of glass that serve as windows in Spencer's apartment. She's curled up on the couch, a textbook open in her lap and a highlighter between the cages of her teeth as she shuffles through a notebook on the coffee table. The front door opens and Spencer barely looks up as her roommate, Amanda, bounds into the apartment, tracking mud and dripping profusely, beginning to strip off her many layers. A passage of particular importance catches Spencer's attention, instead, and she blocks it in pink, gliding the highlighter along smoothly as Amanda chuckles at the sight of her.

"Only you would be studying on a Friday night," She smirks. "Girl, you need a drink."

Spencer counters, "It's barely four o'clock. Besides, I have to get this done. I have a proposal to turn in by midnight and I've hardly started."

"Midnight is hours from now," Amanda comments, pulling her laptop out of her bag and replacing it with clothes and toiletries. "Take a breather, Einstein."

Spencer nods towards her bag and asks, "Where are you going?"

"Are you kidding? Your boyfriend's coming to town," Amanda states as though it's obvious. "You didn't think I was going to stick around to be third wheel, did you?"

"Well I guess not," Spencer shrugs. "But I don't want to kick you out."

"No worries," Amanda assures her. "I'm spending the weekend at Theta Chi. I'm going to teach those boys how to live, if you know what I mean."

Laughing, Spencer nods. "I always know what you mean."

"What can I say," Amanda winks. "Undergrads… They really get me going."

She's out the door a moment later and though Spencer truly does love her roommate, she has to admit she's glad to see her go. She hasn't seen Toby in ages, since the summer, and their reunion will likely be eventful. Her schedule has been insane and so has his and somehow, they hadn't managed to clear their duties and obligations until now. But it's their anniversary- six years, this year- and there was no way they were going to let that pass without a visit. He'd gotten clearance from his boss and she'd been struggling to finish all her assignments and tasks on time in order to devote her all her attention to him.

When they has first been presented with idea of separation, following her graduation of high school in anticipation of her move to New York, Toby had insisted that she keep her romantic options open. He told her he understood if she wanted to branch out, meet new people and explore her potential prospects; he knew that long-distance relationships were tough and that high school sweethearts rarely ever stayed together. Spencer had listened to his every word and had, in the end, told him it was the biggest load of bullshit he'd ever said. She didn't want to explore her options, she didn't want to date around; she already had exactly what she wanted with exactly who she wanted. "So if it's alright with you," She had said in that way that told him she wasn't really asking. "I would like to make this work."

Six years later, they're still going strong.

The rain has let up slightly by the time Spencer heads out to the train station, but her windshield wipers still have to work in overdrive to keep up with the onslaught. Somehow, she'd convinced Toby to take the train and to spare that beaten old pickup truck the long journey up to Connecticut and since today had been such a disaster weather-wise, she's glad she did. The station is conveniently located near campus, so it doesn't take her too long to arrive, fight the downpour and head inside. His train's been delayed and she can't say she's shocked; it's just another obstacle in their path. She circles the gift shop three times and paces the floor in front of the arrivals and departures board endlessly until finally, the moment comes. She spots him on the waterfall of the escalator and her entire body hums with anticipation. A smile so bright it puts the sun to shame grows on his face the moment he catches sight of her and in an instant, they're mere inches from one another.

He presents her with a bouquet of mostly wilted flowers, a sheepish grin on his face. "I bought these for you back at home, but I don't think they survived the seven-hour journey."

Spencer accepts them anyway, laughing a bit, and throws her arms around him. He holds onto her just as fiercely, as if she's air and he's drowning, and she can feel him sigh, like he wasn't truly at peace until now, until he was with her. Spencer closes her eyes, pulls him closer and breathes in his scent. If she suffocated right here and now in his arms, she would honestly be okay with it. Exhaling, she says, "I missed you so much."

"You have no idea," Toby agrees, pulling back only slightly to lower his lips onto hers. His hands thread through her hair and her heartbeat quickens and if he weren't holding onto her so tightly, Spencer's sure she'd melt away on the spot.

Reluctantly, she pulls away to tell him, "We should go. I'm kind of parked illegally."

He kisses her once more and slips an arm around her waist. "I'm sure if they ever caught you, you could argue your way out of it."

"That might be true, but I have better things to do with my weekend," She tells him, her grin mischievous.

"I don't know, it was a really long train," He teases, bumping her hip with his. "I'm pretty exhausted."

"Are you sure?" Spencer asks. "My roommate's away. She's probably knee-deep in body shots and frat boys by now so we have the entire place to ourselves…"

She trails off suggestively and Toby grins back at her. "Oh, then I may have to reconsider."

The rain has mostly stopped; it's nothing but a soft drizzle, now. The newly reunited pair clambers into Spencer's car and she turns the key in the ignition. As the car rumbles to life, the windshield wipers jumping back to their jobs and a warm breeze filtering through the coolant system, she chances a glance at Toby and smiles when he makes eye contact. "What?"

"Nothing," She insists. "I'm just really glad you're here. I know the train ride was really long, but-"

"Spencer," Toby says her name delicately, as if it were porcelain tumbling from his mouth. "There is nowhere I'd rather be. And nothing was going to keep me from you on our anniversary."

Once upon a time, Spencer had wondered what it was about Toby that made her see the world so differently. There was something so different about him, so real and uninhibited, and she couldn't ever quite place a finger on it. Over time, she began to realize it was certain things about him that acted in coordination with others. The way he laughed or that playful tone of his voice or the look in his beautiful blue eyes that he'd get every time he looked at her. The deep concern he had for her wellbeing and his strong understanding of what she needed not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. He knew her better than she knew herself; it might have been a cliché, but it was the most amazing cliché she'd ever realized. There was something about Toby, something Spencer had spent years trying to figure out, only for it to smack her in the face.

It isn't just something. It's everything.

The next morning, the 6th and their actual anniversary, they wake up with great plans to spend the entire day together making the most out of New Haven. But the skies once again have other plans for the two; it decides to rain quite literally on their parade and much more ferociously than the evening prior. Thunder rumbles down from the heavens and lightning flashes across the great dark expanse of sky. Spencer is so scandalized by the weather she stands by the far window in the living room, mouth agape, and exclaiming frustrated expletives about how nothing ever goes her way. Toby finds it amusing. Honestly, he couldn't have cared less about exploring quirky-but-moderately-dangerous New Haven. He's content just to be with her.

So, they spend the day at home. They laze around in bed until well after noon and bake muffins but decide to pass the baking time by making out and end up burning half the batch. They take a shower and Toby brings up, as he always does, the infinitely awkward time when her father had caught him in just his towel beckoning her to join him in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Casually flipping through the channels on the television while using one another for a pillow on the couch lasts them an hour or two before the power cuts out. Toby goes out of his way to find and light a candle, but Spencer's over-prepared with her industrial strength flashlight that could likely cut through the densest of fogs. He rolls his eyes but he's honestly not shocked.

They do celebrate their anniversary with a very nice dinner downtown, however, which serves as a great way to break up the day. The thunderstorm has neither ceased nor calmed down in the slightest, but they decide they aren't going to let it dampen their spirits. Six years is a long time to have been in a relationship and Toby wants nothing more than to toast his beautiful girlfriend to at least six years more. After everything they've been through together, all the lies and the danger and the tormenting, they somehow managed to come out stronger, as if these horrific experiences only strengthened them. Their relationship had taken a beating or two here and there, but nothing ever tore them down. Impenetrable to outside forces, their relationship is the thing Toby covets the most in his life. Save for, of course, Spencer herself.

When they return from dinner, she seems a bit more solemn than she had been previously and when he shoots her a questioning look, she frowns and says, "I can't believe you're leaving me already."

"Not until tomorrow," He assures her. "That's hours from now."

"Do you have to?" She asks even though she knows the answer. He does have a life to return to and so does she. But hopefully, they would be joined again soon enough.

"I do. I have to be on-site in Williamsport on Monday," Toby says. "But I'm sure you'll have plenty to keep you busy until I see you again."

"Yeah," Spencer agrees. "I have to teach that seminar to the stuffy undergrads and I have to turn in my thesis by the end of the semester that I've barely dipped my toes in and of course my fieldwork is piling up…"

"You'll be great," Toby tells her, gripping her shoulders for support. "You always are."

She smiles slowly, still wary after all this time to take in a compliment. He changes the subject, "Hey, do you want to play Scrabble?"

Toby watches as the frown adorning her features melts into the Hastings game face. "Of course I do. You're on. Just let me get out of this dress."

He nods, watching her go a moment, and realizes his hands are shaking. He can't help himself; he's been fine all day, hell he's been fine all week, but now… It's so close; they're so close and he can't afford to slip up now. Trailing after her to her bedroom, he removes his jacket, slips out of the button-down and tosses both of them aside. Spencer's already commandeered a t-shirt of his and a pair of his boxers and he can imagine he won't be getting those back any time soon. As he slips into clothes that match her level of comfort, she pulls the battered Scrabble box out from under her bed and sets up the board. She's lying on her stomach across the far end of the unmade bed, her hair curled loosely and falling over her shoulders, her warm brown eyes framed by a delicate shading of makeup and Toby has to pause for a moment because damn she's the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

She glances up, then, and catches him staring. "Are you ready to play?"

"Yeah," He snaps out of it and joins her. "Yeah, let's go."

When he garners nineteen points for "JAR," he can tell he's already set her on edge. She continues making longer words for smaller scores and does well in expanding into the four corners of the board, but she's trailing him by a handful of points. Somehow, his usage of words like "RYE" and "PIKE" manage to get him the leading spot. He can't help it; the double letter and triple word scores just happen to be conveniently where he needs them. It's her turn now; she's biting her lip, intently focused on her row of letters, and he can see the wheels turning in her brain. It's something about her that's always fascinated him. If he watched her closely enough, he could see the exact moment she came to a conclusion. He could watch the different circumstances play out in her mind like an open canvas and ultimately, he could see the answer come to the surface.

Eventually, she places down "PURVEYOR" and gets 74 points. "If only I could've used my last tile. Honestly what am I supposed to do with this random B?"

"I don't know, but thank you for using a U," Toby grins, spelling out "QUOXWOOD." "Not my best, but that's twenty eight points. Plus the D's on a triple word score, so that's actually 84 points."

"That is not a real word," Spencer frowns. "Give me the dictionary."

He obliges, but insists. "Spence, it's a type of tree."

"Sure it is," She mutters, flipping through the large book as he smirks before her.

Toby takes the opportunity to snatch the drawstring bag of letters and grab a handful of new ones for his sleeve. His hands are still shaking, but he's counting on her not to notice. He shakes the bag a little, as though mixing up the odds, and hands the bag back to her just as she shakes her head and exclaims, "Unbelievable. I don't deserve the species classification badge I earned in Girl Scouts in the fifth grade. If I overlooked quoxwood, what else didn't I notice?"

"Spence, you're overreacting," Toby chuckles. "You want to get some new letters? You look like you're missing a few."

"Seriously!" Spencer insists, sitting up. "We were out there in the woods for two days, two full days, and I never even knew that a quoxwood tree existed. What if it was in the guidebook that the troop leader gave us and I just overlooked it?"

"It's really not that big of a deal," Toby tells her. "Just please take some new letters so we can move on."

"It couldn't have been in the guidebook, though, because I read that thing cover to cover," Spencer goes on. "What if the troop leaders don't know about quoxwood? They're giving badges to girls who never finished their classification! Someone should tell them-"

"Spencer," He says her name firmly and she stops instantly. "Let it go. Take new letters. Let's finish this game."

"Oh my god, would you relax about the letters for a second?" Spencer shoots back, taking the drawstring bag and shaking a few of the letters into her palm. "We'll finish the game, I was just saying-"

He watches with baited breath as she pauses when something heavier falls into her palm. There, amidst the vowel and consonant tiles, is an engagement ring. If Toby thought he was nervous before, it's nothing compared to his feelings now. His eyes never leave her face as she inhales sharply and says, shakily, "Oh my god."

"Spencer," He begins and that's all it takes, just her name. Her eyes lift from the ring in her hand to the love and adoration radiating from his own expression and for a moment, his heart catches right in his throat. Her eyes are filling with tears and he can count on one hand the number of times he's seen her cry. None of them have been out of positive circumstances. But he hopes this time it is and he thinks it may be and he knows that even now, even with her tear-filled eyes and her shocked expression and the confusion and happiness and love pouring out of every inch of her, she is still the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Spencer," He starts again when he can get his bearings. She's still giving him more than he could have ever imagined. "You are the love of my life and I can't imagine my life without you. When we first met, that afternoon when you came to tutor me in French, I never expected that we would grow like we did. I never expected you to become such an integral part of my life and I'm thankful everyday for the time we spent together. You became everything to me in such a short time span. You've always been there for me when I needed you the most and you've always stuck by me even when… Even when things got bad. I will spend the rest of my life proving to you that I deserve it."

"You are the strongest, smartest, kindest and most loyal person I have ever known... And not only are you the love of my life, but you're my best friend. I have wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you for as long as I can remember, so…" Toby says, gently taking the ring from the palm of her hand and officially presenting her with it. "Spencer Hastings, will you marry me?"

"Yes," She doesn't hesitate, not even for a second. "Of course I will. Yes!"

He slips the ring onto her finger and barely completes the action before she attaches herself to him, kissing him as strongly as she can with tears rolling down her cheeks. Toby feels all of the anxiety, all the nervous energy from before, completely ebb away and instead get replaced by an all-consuming love for the woman he's embracing. Her hands tenderly caress his cheeks and his encircle her waist as she all but climbs on top of him. He doesn't mind. Toby can't remember his life before Spencer; it's a dull void in which he'd suffered unnecessarily for years. But like a beacon of light, she'd come into his life at exactly the right moment to guide him towards the life he deserved. He can't remember his life before her and he'll never have to live without her again.

"I love you," She cries and kisses him again. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," He tells her earnestly and swipes the pads of his thumbs across her cheeks to ward off the tears. "And see? You were all worried about me leaving you. Face it, Spence- you're stuck with me for life, now."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," She grins and then leans back a bit from his grasp, groaning, "Oh god, my parents are going to cause a scene. At least Melissa was established in her career when she got married. Me, I don't even have my master's yet!"

"But you're almost there," Toby points out. "Plus, your parents already know."

Spencer shoots him a look. "What? What do you mean they already know?"

"Okay, I know the post-modern feminist side of you isn't going to like this," Toby sighs. "But I called them weeks ago and asked if it was okay. It's not that I thought I needed permission or that I'm buying you like a piece of property, but I just wanted to make sure that… they knew I was serious about you. About us."

"And what did they say?"

"Your dad was surprisingly calm and okay with it," Toby answers. "Your mom asked why I hadn't done it sooner, which I think was her attempt at a joke, but it sort of fell flat."

Spencer grins. "Oh my god, we're getting married."

"We're getting married," Toby confirms.

"We're like real adults now."

He laughs. "We were bound to get there eventually."

She laughs, too, and leans in for another kiss, this one far more passionate than the last. Toby responds with earnest and the two lower themselves more properly onto the bed… and the Scrabble board with their unfinished game. Tiles go skittering across the board and Spencer's wooden stand falls to the floor. She laughs and Toby shrugs. "We'll pick it up later. I won, anyway."

"No," Spencer grins. "I'm pretty sure it was a tie."

They continue to kiss, but something's eating away at Toby's conscience, so he comes forward. "Wait, Spence?"

"Mm?"

"You won," He concedes. "Quoxwood's not a real thing."

"I knew it!" She shouts, indignant. "I didn't find it in the dictionary and I thought maybe it was an older version, so… Toby, you made me question my childhood observational qualities!"

"Oh how dare I," Toby jokes. "Are you happy now? You finally beat me."

"Well, we never technically finished the game."

"Would you like to?"

"Later," Spencer disregards. "I've got more important things to do right now."