Part 4

Kyla was sitting with her head on Aiden's shoulder while he had his arm around her. They'd been sleeping, or at least trying to for a while.

Kyla just couldn't drift off though. There was too much floating around her head. The intruder, the finally understanding what it feels like to be and have a sister, the fear she felt when she thought she'd lost said sister and now the forthcoming talk she knew they had to have.

She saw a figure in scrubs go up to Ashley's door and peer through the window. Although she didn't realise straight away that it was Paula.

Instantly she had manoeuvred out from Aiden's arm, he was obviously asleep from how heavy his limb was, and grabbed the door handle just as Paula opened it.

"Spencer asked you to stay away."

Paula looked at the shorter girl. "She's my daughter and I'm going in there and taking her home."

Kyla was now standing fully in the way of the door. "No. Your not. I'm grateful for whatever help you gave Ashley earlier but that doesn't change the fact that I don't like you or how you've treated my sister. She's been through a lot and so has Spencer so your going to go away and leave them alone."

"Or I call security." Aiden added as he stood from his seat. He knew that a risk of embarrassment at her job wasn't what Paula wanted.

Paula looked between the two teenagers and let out an exasperated sigh as she stormed away.

Aiden looked at Kyla, "you're hot when your being scary." He grinned.

Kyla walked over and swatted Aiden's arm. "It's not funny. She's going to try and ruin there lives."

Aiden pulled Kyla into a hug. "She's going to try but they won't let her and neither will we." he promised.

Ashley and Spencer were both still lying in each other's arms but both had their eyes wide open.

"What was that?" Ashley asked confused at what they'd just heard through the crack in the door.

Spencer sat up swinging her legs over the edge of the bed facing away from her girlfriend.

Ashley, who was beyond confused and worried about Spencer sprang up from her previous position but instantly regretted it.

Spencer heard Ashley gasp and wince and turned round to see a pain filled expression on her face. She tried to peel Ashley's hands from her face but Ashley was just tensed up completely.

"Ash? What's wrong?"

No response.

"I'm going to get a doctor." She said quickly but before she could get up she heard Ashley's trembling voice.

"No." She slowly let her hands fall from her face. "I'm ok. I just moved to fast." Ashley explained but there were tears in her eyes.

Spencer felt her heart breaking at the mix of sadness and pain on the brunettes face. She put her hands on Ashley's shoulders and eased her back down onto her pillows then straightened the sheet. Leaning across she carefully laid a tender kiss on Ashley's lips.

"You ok?"

Spencer wasn't sure how to answer that. She decided to just tell Ashley the truth. "I'm out. To my parents. Both of them."

Ashley had to kick start her mouth as she was starring at Spencer. "How?"

Spencer gave a little chuckle. "I told my dad after you dropped me off. He was so cool about it. He even knew it was you I loved. He said we'd tell my mum together. That he'd protect me and he was proud of me."

Ashley cupped Spencer's cheek in her hand. "Of course he is. Your dad's a cool guy and he see's what an amazing person you are."

Spencer leaned into Ashley's palm and hiccupped out a sob.

"Ash. My mom was there when you were brought in and she didn't tell me. I didn't know you were here till hours later and she kept it from me out of spite. When I found out I couldn't hold back. I told her about us and that she was hateful so not to come near either of us while we were here."

Ashley pulled Spencer closer until there foreheads were resting together. "It's gonna be ok."

Spencer was biting back her tears. "It's not. She hates us enough to keep that from me. I don't know if she'll ever be able to accept it."

"We'll try. Ok?"

Spencer gave a small nod. Ashley planted small kisses all over the blonde's face.

"I'll be with you through it all." She promised. She felt so bad that Spencer had to go through this. She knew how it felt to have your mother completely tune you out of their life because of sexuality. And with Spencer being so close to Paula she knew it had to hurt a hundred times more.

She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Spencer's ear and wanted to take all the problems away and see her girlfriend smiling like normal. But she couldn't.

"Your exhausted. You should go home, get some sleep." Ashley suggested softly.

Spencer instantly straightened up. "I can't. If I go home, she'll be there or Glen and I don't want to deal with them yet. Besides, I'm not leaving you."

"Spence, I'm ok. You don't have to stay in this crappy place because of me."

Spencer had on her resolve face. "I'm not going."

Ashley sighed, "Well, get your butt back up here." she told her as she opened out her arms.

Spencer didn't argue this time as she once again lay next to Ashley. With her head resting on Ashley's shoulder she couldn't have kept her eyes open if she'd tried.

The girl's woke up to some emotionless doctor with absolutely no bedside manner. He told Spencer she shouldn't be on the bed, the sleepy blonde switched to the chair in a zombie like slide. He then started flashing a little torch in Ashley's eyes and telling her to follow his pen. All in all, not the way anyone wants to be wakened.

The doctor was soon gone again in a blur of flarey white lab coat leaving the girl's trying to clear the cobwebs.

Spencer got up, kissed Ashley then headed out of the room. "Gotta pee."

Ashley laughed as Spencer walked out. Lying alone she decided to start prodding her bandaged head. She winced when she hit really sore part.

"You probably shouldn't be doing that."

Ashley looked up and saw Kyla in the doorway.

"Well, no one told me not to" She made a stabbing gesture with her finger.

Kyla kept up the routine. "Really? What kind of joke doctors are running this place?"

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Highly religious ones who don't want their daughter dating me."

Kyla clicked her fingers, "Oh yeah!" she was now standing by the foot of Ashley's bed. "How're you feeling?" she asked seriously.

"I'm ok. Just-" she pointed to her head. "a little sore. Are you… good?"

Kyla nodded. "Thanks to you."

Ashley shrugged uncomfortably. "I just…"

"You protected me." Kyla finished.

Ashley's gaze fell to the sheets. "Of course. You're my sister."

The younger girl couldn't say anything. It was too weird and brilliant hearing Ashley finally admit she was her sister and not just some bastard child.

"Stop with the shock and horror, your making it weird-er." she added.

Kyla tried to shake it off. "Sorry. It's just really… Real. It's not this trivial thing anymore. You're really my sister."

Ashley felt all of her guilt as real as she felt her head wound. "I… How I acted…" She let out a frustrated sigh.

Kyla decided to help her out. "It's ok, I get it. But I'm in your life and I don't plan on that ever changing. You're family, there's no escape." She said in a faux scary voice but Ashley didn't see the joke.

"Trust me, there's still plenty of escape routes."

Kyla looked her in the eye. "Not for sister's, ok?" When Ashley didn't say anything Kyla held out her arm. "Pinkie promise?" She asked with a shrug.

Ashley nodded and linked pinkie's with her sisters. "Deal."

Kyla sat back in the chair. "So, I'm thinking we should start a band, you know, really piss off your mom."

Ashley laughed. "Yeah, part Tegan and Sara and part Meg and Dia."

"Yeah! We'd totally rock."

"Well, it is in the blood."

"Very true." They shared a knowing smile.

"So, did Spencer fill you in on the Paula drama?"

"Yep. But more to the point I heard you standing up for me."

Kyla felt embarrassed. She didn't think Ashley or Spencer had heard. "Well, she was looking a little psychotic, I couldn't let her ambush you."

"I'm not complaining, you were pretty scary. Maybe your useful to have around after all sis." Ashley joked.

Kyla frowned. "That's not funny. I didn't mean to be so useless yesterday."

Ashley instantly panicked. "No! That's not what I meant!"

Kyla looked up with an evil smile. "I so got you."

Ashley was a little speechless. Luckily, Spencer walked back in.

"What's going on?" She asked when she saw the shocked look on her girlfriends face.

"She's evil and good at it." she said pointing to Kyla.

The blonde looked bemused, not completely in on the joke.

"It's in the blood sis." Kyla said with a grin.

Ashley laughed. "This sister thing is gonna be fun."

Spencer saw the two were already plotting. "And dangerous for the rest of us. You two teaming up?" She shook her head. "I just hope I don't piss either of you off."

"As if you could." Ashley cooed as Spencer perched on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, where's Aiden?" Kyla asked.

"Sleeping."

All three rolled their eyes.

"You should take him home. Get some sleep on a bed." Ashley said to both of them although knowing that Spencer wouldn't leave.

"Stop trying to get me to leave, your gonna give me a complex." Spencer said as she pouted.

Ashley gave her a smile. "Sorry baby." She noticed Kyla looked like she was hoping the chair would swallow her hole.

"Kyla?"

"I'm good here. I'll keep watch for Paula." she said trying to joke but Spencer just made a bewildered squeak and Ashley was frowning.

"What's wrong?" she asked her sister clearly.

Kyla shrugged. "I just… I don't want to walk into that house again." she admitted.

Spencer put her hand on the younger girls shoulder. "He wouldn't go back to the house." she said softly.

Kyla nodded but still seemed like she wasn't buying it.

Ashley spoke up. "That guy didn't want to hurt anyone, it was just an accident."

"But he did hurt you. I thought he'd done worse. I've never been as scared as I was at the bottom of the stairs"

Ashley opened out her arms. "Come here." Kyla complied and she gave her sister a tight hug. "Thought I'd escaped the hug but you just had to make this a complete turnaround." Ashley said with a smile. "Go back home, take Aiden, and get some sleep. Your gonna need it for when I get home and you all become my slaves." She said evilly.

Kyla nodded. "Fine. We'll be back later with clothes and stuff." Then she left to get Aiden who was still half asleep when they were walking out of the hospital.

Ashley was engrossed in tracing Spencer's hand but eventually she noticed the goofy head tilt smile she was giving her.

"What?"

Spencer full on smiled. "You were a really good sister right now."

The brunette looked down feeling a little ashamed. "It's about time I was."

Spencer kissed her. "It takes time to become family, it never would have happened over night."

Ashley shrugged. "Life threatening situations help too."

Spencer kissed her again. "I love you."

She returned the sentiment.