Disclaimer: I do not own South of Nowhere.

Premise: One girl can only handle so much. Takes place right as Carmen kisses Ashley, halfway through the series finale. I originally wrote this back when the episodes were airing in France, so I'm happy I can finally post them without the whole spoiler drama. Dialogue has been tweaked with the proper English translation.


When it Comes Crashing Down
Part 1

Ashley's POV

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not good at handling bad situations. Sometimes, I don't exactly react in a timely manner, or a proper fashion…or at all. It's a flaw that has screwed me over on multiple occasions, so when Bangs brushed my hair back, my mind went into overdrive as to how I could avoid yet another disastrous outcome. Of course, being so focused on thinking about preempting her next move, I kind of got distracted from actually preempting her next move. The second her lips touched mine, though, the image of Spencer kissing JONICA entered my mind, and I flinched back instinctively. Yes, because it was just that wrong. Ew.

"What was that?"

"Oh, come on." She said it like it actually made sense. "She's leaving anyway. You know you want to." After a cocky grin, she leaned back into a very not-sexy pose. "No strings. Easy."

I think my brain (and nausea) finally caught up. "Are you fucking nuts?"

"Spencer's not going to stay in L.A. forever. Not for you. She's too good for that. Too good for either of us…I won't push you, though. I'll let you decide."

The girl had the balls to put her hand on my knee. Nuh uh. That was Spencer's knee. Landing platform for Spencer's hand. Resting place for Spencer's head. Not public property for some skanky ho thrift urchin to grope. Since a fierce glare was apparently not setting her ablaze in a fiery ball of death, I jumped to my feet and out of her reach.

"Decide what? When to throw you out of my loft? You are so out of line with this."

"Am I? I know what it's like to have Spencer leave you."

"She's not leaving me."

"Yet."

I can't come up with a retort because in that moment, I hear the loft door open and close. Spencer had arrived—by my earlier request—just in time to witness the staring contest between me and her ex.

"What's going on?"

Why is it my mind goes blank at the most inopportune moments?

Bangs stood, quickly distancing herself from me, a look of contrition painted over her features. "…I'm sorry, Spencer. I know you guys are dating, but sometimes it's hard to know how to react to mixed signals."

My throat constricts as I feel a pair of blue eyes land on me. See, this would be one of those times when I don't respond in a timely fashion. Wide-eyed and verging on panic, I search Spencer's face. I can see that the wheels are turning, but I can't tell what exactly it is she's thinking.

"Can I ask you something?"

I cringed, still unable to read her expression. "…sure?"

"Did Aiden get a gender transfer? Because this is feeling very déjà vu."

A laugh escaped my lips. My tongue was still tied, but luckily my motor functions were in working condition. With quick steps, I rounded to couch to stand at her side, running a hand down her arm—a wordless reassurance that I was hers and she was mine.

I think Spencer got the message, and she turned her now hardened gaze to the other brunette. "What did you do?"

That was all I needed. With no accusing stare fixed on me, no doubt swimming in blue eyes as they pinned me in place, I felt the panic fade. "Your ex just kissed me."

Bangs was quick to deflect. "I thought that's what you wanted."

"You really think I'd lower my standards that much? I'm going to have to soak my lips in battery acid now!"

"Spencer, I swear—"

"What are you doing, Carmen?" Spencer interrupted.

"I thought she—"

"The offer my dad made still stands. I think you should take it."

"I don't want to leave. Kyla wants me here."

"Kyla doesn't know the truth. I can guarantee you that if either of them knew what happened, you wouldn't be here."

I switched my gaze between them, trying—and failing—to read between the lines that had so clearly been drawn. "…what truth?"

Both of them winced as if suddenly remembering I was there. Spencer looked away and stared at the wall. Bangs watched her carefully.

"Spence?" I gently tugged on her arm, and she reluctantly met my eyes. "What am I missing? What happened?"

"It was a long time ago. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Obviously, it does."

"Ash—"

"Tell me?"

Bangs decided to step in. "It's between me and Spencer."

"Did I ask you?" I snapped. I lowered my voice as I turned back to the blonde. "Spence, please tell me?"

"You remember the night we came to Ego?" she recalled quietly, staring at the floor.

"Vividly."

"After we left, we went to Chelsea's and got into an argument. Carmen…pushed me into a wall."

"And that's my cue to leave."

You know my problem with not acting quickly enough at certain times? This isn't one of them. As she tried to slip past us, I caught Bangs' arm and yanked her back into the living room. "You what?"

"Let's not blow this out of proportion."

"Out of—" I cut myself off, clenching my fists in an attempt to stay calm. "You pushed my girl?"

"She wasn't your girl."

"And that makes it better? You hurt Spencer. There's no Statute of Limitations on that." Spencer gave me a strange look, and I shrugged. "What? I paid attention in history." Her brow quirked up. "Sometimes," I amended. That brow inched up a little more. "Okay, we had that really hot substitute teacher that day."

"Ah."

I turned back to Bangs. "Point being, I don't care if it was yesterday or yester…year. You have something to answer for." The bitch had the nerve to laugh. "I can't believe you. I let you stay here, even after all the shit you said about me. I gave you a shot at some real work instead of fifty-cent ghetto sketches on the boulevard—"

"Ah, but this was all long after the fact."

Anger nearly boiling over, I roughly grabbed her by the arms, giving her a jolt. "You think this is a joke?"

Bangs just smiled sweetly. "I told you we were a lot alike."

I hesitated, then shook myself out of it. There was no way she was going to compare me to her. "No. You want to know what the difference between you and me is?" I pointed to Spencer. "I'd never ever lay a finger on her."

"Well, we can't all be as perfect as the little rocker princess living the high life off of daddy's money."

My hand twitched, but I bit back any other reaction. I really didn't want to do something that Spencer would make me regret later. Well, I did want to, but I was trying my hardest not to upset her.

Spencer shook her head at Bangs. "God, you're more twisted than I thought. I can't believe I thought you had changed."

Her ex cringed slightly. "I really do care about you."

"You have a pretty warped way of showing it."

"Well, I'm terribly sorry that life isn't the fairy tale you make it out to be," Bangs spat. "I just hope you're not too shocked when your knight in shining slutwear gets bored and screws you over again." She paused to consider it. "Although, you know what they say about the shy quiet ones. Maybe that's what you get off on."

My fist connected with her face. No one talks to Spencer like that. I heard the blonde shout my name, but my focus was on the homeless wall-shover bitch in front of me. "Is that what you were waiting for?!"

For all the pain she must have been feeling (because my hand hurt like hell), Bangs still managed to sling out the expected barb. "I'm surprised you did it yourself. But I guess you had to since your boy toy bodyguard wasn't here to do it for you."

I wanted to lunge at her, catch her by the throat and strangle her, or maybe just tackle her to the floor and pound her face in, but a hand on my arm held me back.

"Ash, please stop."

I turned to meet blue eyes. "But she hurt you."

"Which is exactly why I need you to be the bigger person here."

Bangs gingerly touched the bruise forming on her jaw. "A little late for that…"

I didn't even spare her a glance, suddenly feeling drained. "Get out of my sight."

As an afterthought, I followed Bangs to the door, slamming my palm against it before she could pull it open. I hovered close to her ear. "If you ever touch her again, come anywhere near her, blink in her general direction in a way I don't like…I'll fuck your shit up."

The girl gave a low chuckle. "And I'm supposed to be surprised by this? Threatened and humbled? You've managed to fuck up everything you've ever touched. You did it to her once. What makes you think this time around will be any different?"

There was a moment, a tiny pause when all I did was stare. Then, foregoing further ceremony, I wrenched the door open. "…get out."

She left without another word. I locked the door behind her. Shut her and her venom of lies and truths out of my life. I had enough of my own to keep me company. I didn't need Spencer's reject to shout out my fears to the world.

Wearily, I turned to face my girl. She wanted to apologize. So did I.

I could see it in her eyes.

She could see it in mine.

Neither of us said anything, though. I just held her. Or maybe she held me. Maybe it didn't matter.

Maybe we both knew the silence wouldn't last long.


Part 2 coming soon.