A/N: I am so sorry for the delay! I am wrapping up my final semester of college and life exploded all over the place. I've had most of this written for a little while but I still had some final touches that I just now finished! I hope you enjoy it, this is the last chapter :) Let me know what you think! I'm playing around with the idea of a post-season 3 fic, so be on the lookout for that!

The night is always darkest just before the dawn. Even the blackest nights and the grayest dreams must end with sunrise, the break of day. The first few weeks of summer had been hard for all of the girls, especially for Hanna struggling to accept Mona's betrayal and poor Emily suffering the harsh loss of Maya. Keeping busy and staying strong had become Spencer's mantra through it all, even when she had to fake it for the sake of her friends.

Luckily she was faking for one less person these days. Toby knew she wasn't as okay as she always claimed…and strangely enough, she was alright with that. Being the perfect gentleman that he was, he offered to platonically stay the night with her as often as needed until the dreams subsided. Spencer fought the idea at first, claiming that it was too disruptive to his work schedule and that her parents would be furious if they found out.

Toby's first instinct had been to retort "as if your parents ever stick around long enough to have a say," but he bit that back and went with a softer plea. "Spencer, I will sleep better knowing that you are sleeping better. And you and I both know that getting around your parents isn't as hard as they think it is." He won out in the end, which means they both won. Burrowed against his warmth each night, wrapped tightly in the security of his arms, Spencer had never known a better place of refuge.

Until this particular morning when her refuge was headed out of town. She had been dreading it all week long, and now it was here. June had arrived with a glorious golden sunrise, yet the bright display did nothing to cheer Spencer. As per their agreement, Toby had vacated the Hastings household before either of her parents noticed and returned to his loft to shower and pack up his truck. A new job had opened up with a crew in Bucks County, taking him away from Rosewood for at least ten days. She knew it was just a blip of time. He'd be back in a blink. At least that's what she kept telling herself…

Pasting on a happy face, Spencer rounded the corner and forced her reluctant legs toward The Brew. He had promised coffee and a ride to Hollis as their farewell. As if that were romantic or something. She knew she was being dramatic and clingy, which she swore to herself was completely out of character. This was not like her, not the Hastings way. She was fiercely independent, right?

Wrong. Not anymore. Not since Toby Cavanaugh had hijacked her bed, her dreams, her world. Those captivating blue eyes were the last thing she saw before drifting asleep and the first thing she took in each morning. If perfect love drives out fear, then her fears were completely out of sight. Waking with her head pillowed against his chest, limbs tangled together, their breathing synched; it was heaven. The sound of his voice, deepened with sleep, murmuring his love to her as they hid away in the stillness of her sheets. She felt a dangerous rush, a bond unlike any she had known before, forming in the pit of her stomach as he kissed her good morning and lazily stretched his muscular body alongside her own frame. Her days in college prep classes seemed to drag into eternity as she longed to be back in his embrace. An intense physical draw had always existed between the two, but it seemed to have tripled in its unmistakable force, overtaking Spencer's characteristically rational thinking. She knew she was spoiled. She just wanted him to stay.

"Hi, gorgeous," a voice sounded from behind, shaking Spencer from her wistful musings. A chill that had no relation to the balmy weather spread up her spine, her skin breaking into goose bumps. What was he doing to her?

Spinning around to face her handsome boyfriend, Spencer was surprised to see Toby already carrying matching paper cups of steaming caffeine.

"You didn't have to get mine." It was hardly the greeting that expressed the turbulence in her heart, but she just couldn't quite acknowledge his imminent departure yet.

"Yes, I did." Toby forced the cup into her hand and persuasively silenced any further protests with his lips. Wanting her closer, he curved his index finger through one of her belt loops and tugged. Spencer earnestly complied, pressing against him and cupping his cheek with her free hand. After several prolonged kisses, they split, both breathless and buzzing with an inexpressible intoxication.

"Well hi to you, too," she purred into his ear.

A massive grin stretched across Toby's face, causing endearing laugh lines to crinkle around his eyes. "Let's get you to school, Spence." He laced his fingers through hers and took a step toward his truck.

For the very first time in her whole life, Spencer uttered a set of words that stopped him cold: "but I don't want to…"

Whirling back around to face her, Toby's eyebrows arched in shock. "You, Spencer J. Hastings, do not want to go to class? I thought school was like your playground or something!"

With a devilish smirk, Spencer admitted, "I found a playground I like more."

He felt a heat climbing in his cheeks. Inching up to him, Spencer skimmed her unoccupied hand through his sandy brown hair, tugging gently on the soft spikes. She was killing him slowly, he was sure of it.

"Spen-cer…" the way he dragged the syllables of her name into a low exhale made her a little lightheaded.

"Yes, my love?" her tone was seductively teasing as she trailed her nails along his scalp, slanting down to trace the sharp lines of his jaw.

Clearing his throat and sidestepping the heady influence of her touch, Toby sought her eyes with his. Beyond the playful mischief, there was a strain in her toffee irises. She wasn't fooling anyone; the underlying dread at their separation was evident in the creasing of her brow and her vague disinterest in class. A physical pang sounded in his soul. This wasn't exactly easy for him either.

Moving closer once more, Toby let his lips linger on the shell of her ear. "I'm on to your game, Hastings. I have a surprise for you in the truck, but you have to cooperate to get it."

"A surprise? I can be good, I promise!" His bribe was instantly rewarded with a wide-eyed grin and a peck on the cheek.

Smiling in return, Toby wound his arm around Spencer's waist and guided her toward the curb. "Just a warning, it's nothing fancy, okay? It's a little reminder of us, even when we're apart." With that, he swung open the passenger door to reveal a simple brown paper bag with a small yellow bow perched on her seat.

Her eagerness was tangible; she was nearly bouncing out of her skin in anticipation, amusing Toby with her childlike antics. "May I?" he asked, offering to hold her coffee.

She muttered her thanks as she handed the steaming cup off into his capable hands, reaching for the package without hesitation. Leaning her back against the truck's exterior, Spencer hastily dug through the bag, fishing around until her fingers brushed against something unfamiliar.

Her sharp intake of breath was followed with a long "Tobyyyy," her mocha eyes the size of saucers as she glanced back and forth between the incredible boy in front of her and the intricate work of art in her hand. "Did you make this?!"

He shyly ducked his head, squirming under her intense gaze. The bracelet, fashioned out of braided leather straps and an engraved medallion, had consumed all of his free time in the last week. "Yeah, I've been working on it for a little while. I know it's a little rough, but I've never made any—"

Spencer threw her arms around him with such force that his words were effectively stopped midsentence. "Toby Cavanaugh, this is beautiful and I'm never taking it off! You are so talented!"

She arched her neck just enough to study the detail etched into the shining pendent. Tears gathered in her eyes—he had painstakingly carved their initials into the metal, permanently capturing the love of T.C & S.H. "Seriously," she whispered, "I love it so much."

"I love you so much," he returned, brushing a feathery kiss to her temple. She released him from her bear hug and fastened the bracelet around her delicate wrist, beaming with affection at his handiwork.

Her eyes flickered back up to his, memorizing the moment. "Thank you, Toby. For this, for the last few weeks, for everything. I'm going to miss you every second until you come back home to me."

Of this he was sure: Toby had never seen a more beautiful image, his picture-perfect girlfriend pressed against the frame of his truck with adoration glimmering in her expression, her glossy long locks lifted in the gentle breeze. She was absolutely right. This was his home.

Pinning her in the safety of his arms, Toby caught her bottom lip between the two of his, initiating the first of many goodbye kisses. For right now, it was just him, her, the shelter of this truck, rays of sunshine, and nothing else.

Both knew all too well that misty shadows still lurked, edging the brightness of day with the dimness of night. But those secrets had no bearing on the lasting vitality of this love. Because when her chocolate eyes locked in on the promises behind his azure gaze, an unfathomable understanding formed. No distance or devastation could alter this heart bursting feeling that tied them together, forever linked.

And they intended to keep it that way.