Author's Note: I don't know, I got bored and wrote this. But I do hope you enjoy it, even though I think its kinda sucky, I wrote it late at night so I was pretty much half asleep.

Disclaimer: I don't own South Of Nowhere or it's characters.

--

Spencer Pov

Have you ever felt like everything in your life is falling apart? Well, I do, and I hate it. Everything happening right now just feels so unfair.

Why her? Why did it have to be Ashley? She didn't deserve this. Hell, when does anyone deserve these kind of things?

But this doesn't just affect her. It affects me, it affects my family, her family. Emily. Poor Emily just doesn't understand whats happening. And it hurts to hear her ask 'Why is mama sick?' or 'When is mama coming home?'

I don't have any real answers to her questions. All I could tell her is 'I don't know' and that hurts more than my daughter's questions.

And now, as I walk through the halls, walking towards my one and only. I still have no idea what's going to happen.

I look up at the white door with her room number on it and inhale deeply before opening the door.

I'm instantly met with the sounds of machines beeping and the sight of my brunette beauty lying on the bed, still and motionless.

I walked up to her bed, pulling along a chair with me to sit on. Then I sat taking her hand into mine, wanting to cry as I felt how limp and cold it was.

"Ashley…" I whispered. "When are you gonna wake up, baby?" I reached up to push a loose curl behind her ears. "Emily needs you," I said, my voice breaking. "I need you."

She's been in a coma for six months. She was in a horrible car accident, she was hit head on. Doctor's keep telling me that her chances of coming out of it are slim to none, but I won't give up hope, I just won't. She has to come back.

"Ash please," I begged, my pleas falling into deaf ears. "Please come back," I looked up at her face.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

And that's what did it. I couldn't my tears back any longer. I buried my face into her side, still holding on to her hand for dear life, while I cried.

There was a knock at the door, so I quickly lifted my head and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and sniffed. "Come in."

The door creaked open, revealing my mother. "Spence?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, but she convinced me to bring her," she told me apologetically.

I gave her a confused look at first but then I realized who she was talking about and hesitantly nodded. "That's fine, it's about time she saw her anyway."

"You sure?" she asked warily.

I nodded mutely.

"Okay," she told me quietly, then I heard a distant "come here sweetie" and the door opened wider, my daughter walking into the room. "I'll be back later," my mom said before closing the door.

"Come here, Em," I said quietly, patting my lap, motioning my five year old to sit.

"Is mama sleeping?" she whispered cautiously, not wanting to wake her, oh but how I wished she would.

"Yeah, baby," I said, trying not to cry again.

Emily got comfortable on my lap and then stared at her other mother. "Is she otay, mommy?"

"Of course," I whispered. "Its like you said, baby, she's just sleeping."

"Is she dreaming?" she asked me innocently.

"Yup," I answered. "What do you think she's dreaming about?"

Emily looked up to grin at me. "Birds," she answered confidently.

"Birds? Why birds?"

"Cause mama always said that-that birds are her favorite, cause they are free. And I know that mama wants to be free."

"Yeah, she does," I said softly. "Hey Em?"

"Yeah, mommy?"

"You want to be left alone with your mama for a while?" I asked, already standing up lifting Emily up in the process. I sat her back down into the chair. I just felt that she deserved to be alone with Ashley and her smile told me she wanted to also. "I'll be right outside okay? If anything happens you call mommy okay?"

She just nodded, with understanding brown eyes.

It was hard to look at her sometimes, she looked so much like Ashley, but then again I don't know what I'd do without her, she's what kept me through this.

"Mommy?" she asked.

"What?"

"Can I be alone with mama now?" she said with a small smile.

I held my hands up in surrender. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."

And with that I left the room.

Normal Pov

Emily observed the door, making sure Spencer wouldn't come back in and smiled before looking over to Ashley. "Hi mama," she whispered. "I brought you something."

The little girl pulled a paper out of her pocket. It was drawing. It had a blonde stick figure, with two brunette ones; one big, one small.

"It's us," she informed with smile. "We're all happy," then she frowned. "But mommy hasn't been happy mama, not since you've been sick. So…you need to get better. For mommy."

Emily go up from the chair and reached up to give her mother a kiss on the cheek. "I love you," she whispered as she pulled away and sat back down, grabbing Ashley's hand.

The five year old looked at her little hand in her mother's and could have sworn she heard something.

It got louder.

Emily looked up.

"I love you too kiddo," Ashley mumbled, slowly forcing her eyes open.

"You're awake!" the little girl exclaimed happily.

Ashley smiled at her. "Of course I am," then she looked around. "Where's your mommy?"

Emily's eyes widened, almost comically. "Oh! Mommy!" she quickly stood up and opened the door and yelled into the hall, "Mommy! Mommy!"

Spencer Pov

I abruptly stopped my conversation with one of the nurses and went to my daughter, bending down to meet her eye to eye. "What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"Mama," was all she said.

I scrunched my eyebrows and stood up, walking into the room, my heart almost stopping when I see my wife's smile; nose crinkle and all.

"Oh my god," I gasped, bringing a hand up to cover my mouth, already feeling the moisture on my cheeks.

"That's not exactly the reaction I was going for," Ashley said with a grin.

"Oh my god," I repeated, running towards her bed, a wrapping my arms around her. "I thought I lost you," I sobbed.

"Shh," Ashley said, then looked over at Emily who was standing by the door. "Come 'ere, munchkin."

Emily giggled at the name and ran over to her mama's inviting arm, hugging her side. I just continued to sob.

She was back.

I prayed for the day, but I didn't actually think it would come.

"I missed you so much, Ash," I said, through my tears.

"I missed you too baby girl," she said, mostly for my sake, I'm sure. "But you know I had some pretty sweet dreams. You know what they were about?" she said with a slight smirk.

I sniffed as I pulled away from her embrace. "What?"

Ashley looked at Emily, then back at me with a grin. "Birds."

I smiled.

She had heard our conversation.

I leaned in and gave her a soft kiss that could have lasted forever. And Emily, instead of saying 'ew' like she usually did, smiled.

When I pulled away, I rested my forehead against my wife's. "I have to get a doctor, you know," I whispered.

"Later," she whispered. "Right now…right now I want to be with my family," she pulled away from me to plant a kiss on Emily's forehead but then came back to kiss mine.

After that she held us close, and I knew at that moment everything was going to be okay again.

I just knew it.

Because just like the birds, Ashley was free.

She was free from the clutches of her coma.

And she was free to come home.