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Sisters in Philly

On Saturday I went to Philly with Melissa. We spent most the morning shopping for baby stuff and stopped at a restaurant for late lunch.

"Thanks for coming with me today, Spence." Melissa said.

"No problem, I've had a good time. It's fun to do stuff that normal sisters do together."

"It is." She agreed. "Don't get me wrong, this is really nice. But I always thought Ian would be here instead. He was the one that convinced me to have a baby."

"Well, I'm glad you're having a baby. It'll be nice to have a niece to spoil."

"I'm glad too. But I never thought things would end up like this. Pregnant with no father around, and even if he was still alive he wouldn't be around. I can't stay in Rosewood for more than a few days before the gossip about Ian being Alison's killer gets to me."

"Melissa, there's something you should know." I started hesitantly. "There's a possibility that Ian might not have done it."

"Spencer, I know you're trying to make me feel better. But you don't have to; I've come to terms with it."

"No, Melissa, I'm serious. I don't think he did it. I think someone set him up just like they set Toby, Mona, Hanna, and Aria up." I stated firmly.

"But why?" Melissa asked completely dumbfounded.

"I think he knew who hurt Ali, and that someone did him in to keep him quiet. I know you and Ian weren't together anymore that Labor Day, but do you know who he might have been with that night?"

"Alison...she found out something about me. I was angry and wanted payback. Ian told me he and some of his friends were going to get her back once and for all. So I went with him to Jason's after you and the girls went to the barn. All of us, me, Ian, Jason, Cece, Garrett, and Jenna, were together that night."

"What did Ali found out?" I asked her.

"This isn't the place or the time to talk about that, Spencer." She told me and I knew better than to keep prying.

"All six of you were together the entire night?" I clarified.

"No, at some point that night we decided to take a break. We all split up and went our different ways for about an hour and a half. Garrett, Jenna, and Cece didn't come back. And Ian was acting different when he did."

"Do you know where Garrett and Jenna went?"

"Just that Garrett took Jenna out back to calm down." She told me. "Spencer, I know why Jenna hated Alison so much. I know the truth about the fire."

"You...you what? How do you know and how long?" Now I was dumbfounded.

"Everyone there that night had a bone to pick with Alison, but Jenna just kept going on and on. So I asked her what she had against Alison. She told us the truth about the fire and Jason confirmed that she was right." She answered.

"You've known this whole time?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I never said anything. I just didn't know how to." She apologized and she sounded genuine.

"It's okay, we're Hastings, we overlook and cover up imperfections rather than face them." I shrugged.

"That's not an imperfection, Spencer. It's a shame that that happened to you. But it happened because you saved two other people's lives. That's not something to be looked down upon."

"Thanks, Mel." I laughed.

"What's so funny?" She asked and sounded really confused.

"You sound like Toby. He always thanks me for what I did and makes me sound like some great heroine like Joan of Arc." I explained to her.