Hey people, I thought I'd pick this up as a side project. I needed a small break from Make Hell Not War because it was depressing me, and this story is going to be a tad depressing, but a lot easier to write because the plot's not as complicated, and the Romance happens faster. I'm not giving up on Make hell not war by any means I'm just going to write this story in between updates for it. Gotta love Spashley xD

But yeah-this is my first attempt at this genre, soooooooo lemme know what you think, and it's a song fic. Each chapter is going to start out with a line from a song of my choosing. Right now it's Saving Me by Nickelback.

This is the first chapter. Read and Enjoy.


Prison's gates won't open up for me.

"Ashley Davies-we the jury, hereby grant you a provisional release. As of today, June 21st you are on probation. You are not allowed to leave the state of California for any reason, nor are you allowed within five hundred feet of Raife Davies' residence. You will be expected to check with your parole officer regularly. Your parole officer will examine you and make sure you are progressing well, and also will check to see if any illegal substances are on your person. If you fail to comply with these rules-if you are found with any illegal substances, if you miss a check-up with your parole officer, or if you take your ankle bracelet off you will be put back in jail immediately. Do you understand?"

I nodded silently, biting my lip.

What did this moron think I was going to do? Escape in the first available trunk to Mexico? I've been in jail for the past five years-aching for this window of opportunity-for this taste of freedom. Finally it was within my grasp and I wasn't going to fuck it up.

Not now.

"Very well then Ms Davies, your accessories are waiting for you in the adjoining room. The bailiff will return them to you and you are free to go." The stocky man nodded curtly at me, and I almost collapsed in relief. This wasn't a trick. This was really happening. I was really rejoining society after five long dreadful years in this hellhole.

Demurely I trotted after the bailiff, the bright prison orange visibly marking me, and drawing every eye toward me as I jogged out of the room. I barely noticed the attention though. I was too engrossed in leaving to care. My entire body was wired, expectant, yearning.

I was free.

Finally.

I shifted impatiently from foot to foot as the plump bailiff herded me into a separate room and took his sweet time looking for my belongings. Jail had molded me into a very patient person, but at the moment my nerves were shot. I was desperate to get out of here. Nothing about this place was pleasant, and I had stayed here for far too long already. I folded my arms beneath my breasts.

"Here you go Ms. Davies." He handed me a brown bag, which I assume held the clothes I'd been wearing when I arrived. Warily I took the offered bag, and opened it up. The clothes I wore on the day I was arrested were indeed lying in a crumpled ball at the bottom of the sack. Would they even still fit? In the last few years in prison I had filled out a lot.

My breasts had grown a size. My hips were larger. My muscles were leaner, and I was comprised of more muscle than fat. Five years of excessive labor, and working out had changed my soft womanly curves into toned and dangerously attractive body parts.

It was a stark contrast to the teenage body that used to look like a bombshell in clothes like this. Now I would undoubtedly look whore-ish in these small revealing outfits. Wonderful. I groused internally, draping the tight v-neck shirt, and obscenely small leather mini-skirt over the chair next to me.

"I'll just leave you alone to change." The bailiff excused himself from the room and left me alone with my thoughts. I didn't even bother acknowledging him, nor did I look up as he exited the vicinity.

I had other more important things on my mind.

A frown was steadily creeping across my features. I was still not thrilled about having to squeeze into my outfit from five years ago. It wasn't my style anymore. I wasn't the same girl that used to enjoy running around with my ass hanging out, and teasing anyone that had sex appeal. I was older. I was different. The Ashley from five years ago was dead, murdered in jail, and destroyed after five years of intensive physical and mental therapy.

I wasn't eager to bring her back.

Wearing clothes like this evoked bittersweet memories of a time long past-of a time I wished to forget about completely. I had no desire to fuck anything that moved anymore. I had no desire to dress to kill. I had no real desire to do anything-not even sing, and I loved singing.

It was my passion.

It became before breathing, fucking, and all the Jack Daniels in the world.

And right now…it was the last thing I wanted to do. I'd be content if I never walked into another studio again.

What was wrong with me?

I frowned as I discarded my fugly prison jumpsuit, dumping the orange monstrosity on the ground. It pooled around my legs, and I stepped out of the pants part, leaning on the chair for support as I freed myself from the leggings. I shivered as my naked flesh was exposed to the cool airconditioning blanketing the room. Already feeling the goosebumps trailing up my skin, I snatched the skirt up from the chair and stepped into it-wiggling my hips as it got stuck around my thighs.

As I thought-the skirt was too small, but it was going to have to fit.

Sighing despairingly, I tugged harder managing to inch it up to my waist, and was rewarded for my effort when the skirt fell into place, and didn't rip. Feeling accomplished, I slipped the black polyester V-neck over my head, reveling in the texture as the shirt settled against my skin. This beat the coarse prison jumpsuit any day of the week.

Fully dressed now, I carelessly threw my prison wear into the bag and trotted out of the room to find the bailiff waiting for me at the door of the courthouse. He quirked an eyebrow at my clothes, and his dark mocha gaze trailed up and down my body hungrily. He licked his lips.

Ugh…

I glared at him.

He didn't stand a chance in hell.

"Here." I shoved the bag into his chest and he grappled with the bag handles clumsily. After a second of fumbling he firmly grasped the bag in his hand and sent me a withering glare.

My jaw clenched angrily.

Is he giving me a piss poor attitude? Really?

He's lucky I didn't break his nuts off with a nutcracker.

Normally, I don't mind being oogled, but I wasn't in the mood today. I wanted to enjoy my first day of freedom-not waste my time fucking some prison monkey. Oh yes, another new development from my time in jail-I've developed standards.

"Here's your cellphone, and purse Ms Davies." He said crisply, a scowl darkening his features.

I took my belongings from his hands leaving him with nothing but my prison jumpsuit, and brushed past him stalking out the door. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my skull as I exited the building but I simply didn't care. A scorned Bailiff was the least of my worries. A small breeze teased through my hair, sifting some strands out of place, and I paused my eyes flicking around. Whatever I'd been thinking melted away.

I let out a soft exhale.

God, it felt good to be outside in the open.

"ASHLEY!"

I blinked, not sure if I heard my name or if I was hallucinating.

"ASHLEY DAVIES!"

I knew that voice didn't I?

"YOU DUMB ASS, TURN AROUND!"

I obediently turned around, and a flash of brown caught my eye before a distinctly feminine body collided with mine. A familiar perfume surrounded me as I was engulfed in tight embrace. "Madison?" I said hoarsely, unable to breathe while she was crushing my lungs.

The brunette glued to me reluctantly loosened her hold, drawing back to stare at my face. "Hey Ashley." She greeted me softly, and to my surprise I saw tears glimmering in her eyes. She must have heard about my probation and driven down to the judicial office to see me. I wasn't expecting to see her here. I haven't talked to her in over five years, not because she didn't try to talk to me, but because I refused visitors for five years.

I couldn't face anyone.

The thought of my friends or family seeing me in prison, made me physically nauseous. Their sympathetic looks would have crushed me. I associated those pained looks with pity.

I didn't want pity.

I was a Davies dammit.

If the whole world crushed me under heel I would expect people to move on regardless of how broken I was. They had their own lives to worry about. Mine wasn't their concern. I'd bounce back on my own like I always did.

However, it was different with Madison. I couldn't let her see me in prison because her presence would unhinge me-just like it was doing now. The look she was giving me right now filled me with a staggering amount of guilt, and pain. Madison was a stalwart friend. She'd held me when my father died. She'd cheered for me when I became the biggest rockstar of my generation. She held my hand after I had a miscarriage. She cried with me when I found out I was one of two beneficiaries to my father's estate, and I'd been introduced to a long lost sister. She held me back after I sucker punched my mother for calling me a fucking loser like my father, and she was there when the police hauled me off for aggravated assault.

Now she stood here in front of me, a familiar smile crinkling her mouth, while tears streamed down her face.

"Hey Maddy," I greeted her gruffly, holding back tears of my own. Despite the five year silence dividing us I was so glad to see the woman in front of me. This Latino goddess my rock, and I had missed her. I wasn't the only one that changed over the years either. Madison was hot as teenager, but now as an adult she was unbelievably sexy. Her hair fell in long perfect waves just past her neck. Her lips were plump and full. She had darkened considerably over the last few years so she had an exotic tan that complemented her in adulthood.

"Long time no see Ashley…How are you doing?" Madison asked loading a lot into one question.

Spending every waking moment with her for years gave me insight into all her quirks and habits. I knew Madison better than I knew myself.

I knew what she meant in asking how I was.

She wanted to know if I was okay, or if I was still sliding down that same steep slope I'd been stumbling down since high school. I wondered how long someone could fall before they actually hit the ground. I'd been falling for years. I had yet to impact, and the anticipation was killing me. I was just so…exhausted.

"I've been better." I said truthfully, shaking my head.

Under normal circumstances I would lie.

But Madison knows me.

Lying would be pointless.

She looked at me, her striking emerald eyes raking over me from top to bottom. It was a cool assessment-not invasive like the bailiffs was. Her gaze softened. "I've missed you Ash." She whispered, and my heart clenched at the confession.

Maddy hated expressing herself.

But she would swallow her pride to tell me I mattered to someone.

That I mattered to her.

I stepped closer, and wrapped my arms around her waist drawing her to me so I could give her a hug. "I've missed you too, chica." I breathed in her ear. She shuddered in my grasp, a choked sob escaping her throat.

After staying in that embrace for awhile, we broke apart and she wiped the tears away from her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something and then she frowned, her lips pursing into a thin line. Without any warning her hand shot out, and she smacked me against the arm.

I winced, rubbing the abused appendage. "What the hell Madison?"

"You fuckwad" She rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea who I've been forced to hang out with since my sidekick was in jail?" She glared daggers at me, completely serious in her anger.

I chuckled, and my voice sounded foreign and rustic even to my ears. "Sorry Maddy. Not my fault everyone else is boring in comparison to me." I shrugged, undeterred by her accusations. This was the nature of our relationship. We fought like cats and dogs, but we were loyal to a fault. Even now, she was here for me, and I found myself falling back into old habits. This felt…normal.

Nostalgia swept over me in waves, reminding me of all the times we were at each others throats, and inseparable the next minute.

"And who the hell are you calling a sidekick?" I huffed at her.

"Uh, you." She sneered, hefting her Gucci bag higher on her shoulder.

"I'm no one's sidekick you whore. If anything you're the Robin to my Batman." I replied, defiance written all over my face.

"Bitch please." A grin lit up Madison's face that I couldn't help but return. This really was like old times. "You have more experience running around in spandex and sliding down poles than I do…that makes you Robin." She reasoned, a hint of finality in her tone.

I flipped her off.

To my knowledge I have never worn spandex…nor have I ever slid down a pole.

At least not sober.

"Love you too Davies." She said in sickly sweet voice that made me want to punch her. I can't believe I missed her biting sarcasm so much. We stared at each other for a second, than as one we dissolved into giggles. Madison recovered first, and a genuine smile graced her face. "Alright Ash, I came here to see you, but I also came here to pick you up."

I blinked, tilting my head to the side at her. "Um…"

She'd shown up out of the blue to tell me that she was picking me up? Where was she going to take me? Did I still have my flat? Before I got arrested my home was still intact, but I wasn't around to make the payments the last five years so did anyone bother keeping my rent paid?

It was highly doubtful.

I felt some of my happiness drift away.

I was free, but what did freedom cost me?

"C'mon Ash. I'll take you to my car." Madison gently took my hand and led me away from the courthouse. I followed her quietly to the parking lot, wondering what would happen next. I was used to the routine, and structure that came with being institutionalized. Being thrown out into the world, was like being doused with cold water. It was chilly, it was cold, and I don't know how long I'll be here shivering.

"Okay." I said in a much more subdued tone.

The gravity of my situation was finally hitting me.

Earning my freedom was just the beginning.

I lost my contract. I was no longer a rockstar, and I might be homeless.

My steps slowed, and I trailed behind Madison, one culpable thought surfacing in my head.

What the hell was I gonna do?

"Here's my car." Madison gestured grandly to the cherry red Lotus Esprit ahead of us. I blinked, my thoughts derailed from the future for a second. How did she afford a Lotus? Madison was a far cry from a car junkie. I had to explain to her what a Ducati was and why I lusted for one, but now she owns a freaking Esprit?

"Madison." I said her name slowly, my eyes searching her face. "Did you bury someone in the desert for this car?"

She snorted in laughter as she pressed a button to unlock her car. "No Ash, I bought it with my money. I'm a professional dancer now." She informed me in a matter-a-fact tone.

I watched her disbelievingly as she hopped into the driver's seat.

A dancer?

Well-she certainly has the moves-I admitted quietly to myself before following her example and sliding into the car. I closed the passenger door behind me and then turned to look at the driver. "Where are we going Madison?"

She paused midaction, her hand hovering indecisively in the air. She was about to stick the key into the ignition, but had stopped moving at my words. "Ash." She sighed despairingly and my heart plummeted at her suddenly grave expression. Whatever she was about to say I wasn't going to like it. "I'd take you to your place but while you were in prison your mother gained control of all your assets-cuz your Dad's gone and when you went to prison you were a minor. As your guardian all of your money went to her. "

I gaped at her. "You mean…"

"She has control of all your money, and she's not likely to give it back." Madison finished my sentence.

Fucking Christine strikes again.

Even though I was out of jail, she still managed to trap me. My reaction to her, my own stupidity, managed to flush my career down the toilet, ruin five years of my life, and drain every last cent from my savings account. I had no money, and my mother had made me a hobo of her own accord.

I cradled my head in my hands.

"Where do you want to go Ash?" Madison's hand gently rubbed my back but I didn't look up at her.

I had no idea.

I could go stay with Kyla, but the idea of leeching off my sister-who was now the only wealthy heiress between the two of us, left a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn't have any other friends besides Madison and I didn't want to be a burden on her either. I bit my lip thoughtfully, and risked a glance at my Latino friend that was staring at me in concern. "Can I stay with you-just for a couple of days until I find a job?" I forced the words out of my mouth in a rush, otherwise I would never get them out.

Madison sent me an appraising look. "I don't think you want to stay with me."

My brows furrow in confusion. "What are you talking about, of course I do-I can't think of anyone I trust more."

Maddy sighed heavily. "Ash, you don't wanna stay with me because at the moment I'm putting up two other people in my guest bedroom."

I don't see the problem.

The confusion must have shown on my face because she decided to elaborate further. "There's more than enough room for you Ashley but, Aiden Dennison and his fiancé are staying with me until the douche can get employed again." Madison explained watching my reaction carefully.

Aiden Dennison.

Aiden.

Fucking.

Dennison.

My hands trembled, and I balled them into shaking fists.

"Dammit Maddy." I hissed, and she flinched at the vehemence in my tone. For some ungodly reason-my unborn baby's daddy was staying at my best friend's house with his fiancé and I had nowhere else to go.

I laughed in way that showed very little amusement.

I was locked in my own personal hell.


Alright what do you all think? Questions? Comments?

And no, Ashley and Madison aren't together-they're just the best of friends with lots of sexual tension xD

Next Chapter will be up soon.