A/N: So sorry this is a day late I gave it to my Beta late and she did a beast job at getting it back to me so quickly totally my fault. Thank you keepxmexawake. So I hope you guys like this the fun shall commence from here on out. I am so grateful for all this awesome feedback that you've all been giving. Obviously writers write for themselves but we put it out for your enjoyment and it means a lot when we get a response especially when you show your love for the work. You guys are awesome and I'm glad you're taking to this story so well and showing your support. Read and enjoy! Thanks!

"Here goes everything"~ Wish those words were my own but editing a particular story it got stuck in my head so credit to ohsoclever1 for that poetic spin.

Special Delivery

Ashley types feverishly on the phone as she texts Chase. Seconds later she answers the call and groans into the phone.

"Chase why the hell did you choose those shots? I told you don't select so many CU shots! There aren't enough ELSs, I swear Chase you're working my nerve."

Ashley misses the smirk on her assistant's face as he sits in his apartment back in Boston working on the photos before sending them to Nat Geo. He sighs into the phone and Ashley's eyes shoot open.

"I'm sorry am I'm upsetting you with the job that you were hired to do?"

"No it's just…you picked those shots before you left."

Ashley stops her pacing and stares off as she tries to remember doing what Chase is claiming. She sighs in defeat as she hears her voice echo those words.

"I'm sorry Chase. I'm just…"

"Nervous?"

Ashley can't deny that she is nervous so she just lets silence answer the question for her. She's always excited to see Spencer, and she is right now but she knows that there's a lot riding on this visit. It's either now or never.

"Ashley I can come out there if you want, you know, moral support."

She sits on the bed in her hotel room and squeezes her eyes with her thumb and index finger.

"No, I can do this. I'll be out of touch for the day so…"

"Say no more. So am I keeping the close ups instead of the extreme long shots?"

"No, no keep it the way it is. Just anxiety making my head foggy, I've got to go."

"Ashley!"

"Yeah."

"In order to get all of her, you've got to give all of you first."

Ashley sighs and mumbles out a 'thanks' for Chase's words of wisdom even if they don't settle the queasiness in her stomach. She blows a quick, sharp breath and stops. She looks at herself in the mirror and stares into her brown eyes. She gives an affirmative nod , grabs her things and heads out the door. She pulls it shut, the weight of the door making the slam echo throughout the hall. Here goes everything.

17 years ago

Ashley groans quietly as her mother gently wakes her. The eight- year-old buries her head under her pillow causing her mother to giggle.

"Come on Ashley, you'll get to meet Spencer today."

Christine quickly pulls back as Ashley jumps awake. The mother giggles as she watches her little girl fly out of the bed and runs towards the bathroom.

The girls' classes have been exchanging letters since the beginning of the year and Christine noticed how well Ashley has taken to her pen pal Spencer. It was always Spencer this and Spencer that and Spencer rides bikes down big hills, Spencer's so cool. Christine has heard a lot about Spencer and she is thrilled to be a chaperone on the field trip that her daughter couldn't stop talking about the closer it got. Monterey Bay Aquarium –the second largest in the country-and Ashley is most excited to see her pen pal.

Ashley has never gotten ready fast enough. The little girl not usually a fan of the morning bounces down the stairs humming to herself. She drags her hand down the banister and her eye catches her father standing at the bottom of the stairs. She stops in the middle of the stairs and her brows furrow as she scowls at her father.

"Snapshot." His voice is sad as he just watches his daughter ignore him and walk down past him and into the kitchen.

Ashley climbs up onto one of the barstools that surround the island in the middle of the kitchen. She eats a piece of pancake that her mother had cut up for her and looks at the boxes in the kitchen. She looks up at her mother who puts a glass of milk in front of her then leans on her elbows. She avoids her mother's soft brown eyes trying to ignore her mother as well.

"Sweetie you know your daddy loves you."

"He does not."

"He does."

"Then why is he making us move, making me leave my friends. I got invited to Spencer's birthday party and now I can't go and it's all daddy's fault!"

Ashley turns her small head and yells over her shoulder.

"Ashley Davies!" She cringes at the stern tone in her mother's voice. She looks up with an angry face. "You will not speak to your father like that. Finish your breakfast and get ready to leave but before you go you will apologize to your dad or you're not going to the aquarium."

The eight- year-old purses her lips angrily, stabbing her fork into another pieces of pancake. Her mother says her name again and she shifts her eyes upward to look at her mother.

"You hear me?"

"Yes." She says in a soft voice. Her mother nods and goes back to the stove as she finishes cooking breakfast for her husband. Ashley glances at her dad as he passes her and places a hand on her head and she pulls it away. Glad her mother's back is to them so she won't get in trouble again.

"You're making daddy sad." He bends down and kisses her atop her head. "Sometimes you make hard decisions when it's in the best interest of the people you love. I know you're going to miss your friends but you can make new friends."

Ashley finishes her breakfast and pushes her plate away. "Mommy I'm done."

She sees her mother look at her with a raised brow.

"Sorry daddy."

She jumps down from her chair and goes to get ready to leave.

"Ashley." She stops right away as her father's booming voice fills the kitchen. She turns around and looks at her parents. "I'm sorry you're upset but you're on your way to meet someone new, someone that's become important to you. Even though you're mad at your daddy you can't take it out on Spencer you understand?"

"Spencer's not the one making me move to Florida." Ashley slides her feet back and forth against the tile floor.

Her mother scolds her while she finishes Raife's breakfast placing it on the island for him.

"Ashley what did I tell you?"

"Fine I don't care! What's the point of seeing Spencer if we're never going to see each other again! I hate you for making me leave! I hate you!"

Ashley quickly moves her little legs and runs back into her room. She slams her door shut then kicks it once its closed. She sniffles as she stomps towards her closet and slides the door open. She's made a section of her closet her secret place where she'd read Spencer's letters. She drops onto the pile of blankets. She turns on the switch for the white Christmas lights her father hung for her and leans forward to grab the box where she kept Spencer's letters in. She grabs the most recent letter and leans back against her beanbag chair.

Dear Ashley,

I can't wait to go the aquarium. I love aquariums and I can't wait to see the otters. They are my favorite, they're so cute and sneaky and smart. I'm most excited to see you though. My mommy is going to be a chaperone too. My mommy told me to see if maybe you and your mommy want to have lunch and come over for a play date. I hope you get to and if you do see if you can bring your bike and we can ride down my favorite hill. So make sure you ask with a lot of pleases because I really want you to come. And then we can be best friends and you can come to my birthday party this summer. I hope you get to come because my dad said I can invite three friends but I only want to invite you. We're going to Disneyland. It's going to be so much fun.

Ashley wipes away at her eyes as tears stream down her cheeks. She lets out a labored breath as she folds up Spencer's letter again. She hears a knock on her closet door and she slides the door open. She looks up to see her father crouched down in front of her. She attempts to slide the door close but he stops it.

"Now Ashley, that's enough. Come out of the closet now."

She sighs putting back her letter and crawling out of the closing. Her father picks her up and she drops her head on his shoulder. She cries softly and he coos to his daughter.

"I know that you're upset but this is really good for us. I wouldn't do anything that wasn't good for you."

"I don't want to go." She replies through her tears.

"I know but this is my job. As a consultant I have to move to where the companies need me and I can't leave you behind. Also if you didn't come mommy and I would miss you very much."

She pushes her father away to signal that she wants to get down. He lets his daughter onto the ground and she looks up at him with big eyes.

"I'm sorry I said I hate you. Can you tell mommy I apologized so we can go to the aquarium now."

He gives his daughter a sad smile knowing that she is just upset as she had been since he told the news last week. She had come home so excited that Spencer wanted her to come to her birthday and his heart broke as he shared the news of their move at the end of the school year. Three weeks left until his family moves east and he is about to travel with an extremely angry eight- year- old.

Ashley tightly grips her mother's hand as they sit in the school bus with the rest of her class. The children are all loud and excited while Ashley sits quietly looking out the window. They pull up to the aquarium and all the kids shout in unison.

Her heart races but her face stays stoic. She feels her mother squeeze her hand gently. She looks away from the building to her mother's sweet face and she gives the woman a shy smile.

"It'll be fine sweetie."

She just nods. She didn't know why she was so edgy to meet her pen pal. Excitement, anxiousness, and nervousness three high different emotions bouncing around the little girl, she rubs her jumpy stomach as Ms. Hersham stands at the front of the bus and gives directions.

"Alright class settle down." The kids obey quickly knowing very well the longer it took to be quiet the less time they'll have at the aquarium. "Thank you. Now, I know you are all very excited to be here and to meet your pen pals. I want you all on your best behavior. I will call out the name of the chaperone and then your name, then you will all stand outside with your chaperone in a single file. No running around understood?"

"Yes Ms. Hersham." They all say loudly.

Their teacher nods then continues. "Once we are inside we will wait for Mrs. Perry's class and then we'll call out your names so you can meet your pen pals."

Ashley finally brightens up, her face breaking into a large smile. Christine looks down at her daughter and places a kiss on top of her head. Ashley smiles at her mom and watches as she lifts her head once her name is called. Ashley follows her mom out of the seat and to the front of her bus. Parker, Virgil, and Meaghan, another girl in her class,were all part of her mother's group. They all link their hands to prevent each other from wandering.

The aquarium buzzes with excitement from the many different groups preparing to spend the day there. While she, her class and the chaperones marvel at the large whale they are standing under, Ashley looks around in search of the other class. She looks around the entrance of the aquarium already searching for her pen pal even though she has no idea what her pen pal is going to look like.

She notices another teacher leading a bunch of students and adults hoping that's the group. She watches as Ms. Hersham greets the other woman and she gets excited. She's so close to meeting Spencer. She really wishes that they would speed things up because all this waiting is driving her crazy.

"Alright everyone I'm going to call out your names and then Mrs. Perry is going to call out the name of your pen pal, then you will be partners for the day. Okay?"

All the kids cheer with excitement and both educators smile fondly at their kids. Ms. Hersham reads a name, then Mrs. Perry, this goes back and forth for about ten names. Ashley watches as her classmates get excited as they meet their new friends and she looks on with envy. She smiles as Virgil's partner seems to be a bit bossy as she orders him to hold her hand a certain way. Parker and his pen pal are having a contest on who can hold their breath the longest. She's so intrigued by their game she almost doesn't hear her name. Almost.

"Ashley." Her brown eyes snap up and she quickly lets go of her mother's hand. She has forgotten that her mother was there all together. She stands in front of Ms. Hersham and smiles at Mrs. Perry as she calls out.

"Spencer."

The little blonde girl quickly darts out from behind a taller blonde woman and runs up to the front. Ashley's eyes widen in shock.

"You're a girl."

Spencer tilts her head to the side and looks at her pen pal. She answers coolly.

"So are you."

They both giggle and link hands running to stand in line behind the rest of their class.

Present Day

The brunette sighs as she purchases two tickets to enter the aquarium. Standing underneath the large whale like she has done for the past seventeen years she waits for her best friend. The place was not quite full since the doors opened only ten minutes ago. She paces back and forth as she prepares herself for the reunion.

Dragging her brown leather Frye boots across the tile floors she leaves scuff marks then rubs them away with the sole of her shoe. A familiar giggle makes her mouth shoot into a smile. She looks up at the blonde and her heart stops. She places a hand on her chest to make sure it's still beating. She marvels at how beautiful the blonde is, she swears she gets more beautiful every year. Ashley smirks as she traditionally greets her.

"You're a girl."

Spencer mirrors the same reaction, tilting her head and answering coolly.

"So are you."

Ashley giggles. "Get over here." She says and the surgeon doesn't hesitate to close the distance between them.

They tightly wrap their arms around each other. Spencer nuzzles her face into Ashley's neck breathing her in. Tears well up in her eyes as she feels her body release all the tensions she has built up over the past year into Ashley's embrace.

"Don't let go." Spencer mumbles, she feels the photographer shake her head and hears her mumbling a response.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

She leans back looking to face Ashley. She leans her forehead against the brunette's and sighs.

"I've missed you so much. You have no idea."

Ashley groans as she contemplates Spencer's words. "I think I do."

She buries her fingers into blonde hair and looks down at the blonde's lips and she sees Spencer do the same and her eyes narrow in curiosity. Their arms still stay around each other as Spencer gently slips her hand in Ashley's hair.

"You cut your hair, I like it."

Ashley's short brown curls stop just below her ear. She giggles as Spencer plays with the bottom of her curls and loosens her grip. Spencer stops playing with her best friend's hair and gives her a stern look. The brunette just smirks and tightens her grip again.

"We can't stand here all day Penguin."

Spencer only responds by wrapping her arms around Ashley's neck and placing her chin on her shoulder.

"Let me have this before I lose you for a whole other year."

Ashley shakes her head at the start of the guilt trip.

"Already?" She asks with a chuckle. She feels Spencer shrug and places a soft kiss on her cheek. "Fine we'll stand here as long as you want."

"Not the answer I was looking for."

"I know." She admits softly and Spencer pushes her hips forward in an attempt to hit the photographer.

They finally release each other but quickly link hands. Their fingers laced together as they gently squeeze. Ashley runs her thumb over Spencer's finger as they walk towards the entrance. They lightly swing their hands back and forth staring stupidly at each other.

Ashley smiles making Spencer smile wider in turn causing the brunette's smile to get even bigger than it already was.

"So talk to me." Ashley starts, then hands their tickets to the worker and the brunette lets the blonde go through the turnstile first. As soon as Ashley walks through Spencer doesn't hesitate to grab her hand again.

"Well what do you want to hear?"

"Everything."

"I missed you." Spencer repeats.

"How much?"

"A lot!"

"Like a lot a lot or just a lot?"

"Meh just a lot." She answers with the rise of her shoulders and the brunette gently pushes her stumbling a little herself with their hands linked. They stop in the sardines tank. The circular room is dark and blue as the aquarium gives the effect of being underwater. The amounts of sardines were in the thousands almost covering the size of the glass.

They both look at the underwater animal with awe, never in their seventeen years have they gotten bored of the meeting place. The magic of the aquarium adds to their memory and most especially to them.

Ashley stands against the railing and her body freezes as Spencer lets go and stands behind her wrapping her arms, hugging her from behind. One arm snakes around her waist and the other over her shoulder. She rests her chin on her best friend.

"It's just me Otter relax."

Ashley rolls her eyes at Spencer thankful that she couldn't see. She knows it's just her that's why she's frozen. The blonde's lips are close to her neck, she can feel her warm breath softly brushing against her. She closes her eyes and inhales deeply letting out a slow steady breath.

This girl is going to be the death of her. She has to tell her. If she doesn't say anything she's going to be sick. What Spencer is doing right now should feel good. It should comfort her but right now all it's doing is setting her body on edge because the intention behind it is so uncertain.

Ashley pulls from the embrace and is met with sad eyes once she turns around. She cups Spencer's cheek and grazes a thumb over it. A lone tear falls from blue eyes and Ashley wants to cry at the sight of it. Why is she hurting so bad?

"Penguin talk to me."

Ashley closes the small gap between them and kisses the tear away. The gesture only exudes another set and Spencer buries her face in Ashley neck crying softly. Ashley coos her gently running her hand up and down Spencer's back.

"Why does this hurt so much?"Spencer asks through sob, in a soft mumble.

"What?" Ashley prods as she tightens her grip around her best friend.

"The thought of you leaving, you just got here and all I can think about is when you leave again."

Ashley pulls away far enough to catch Spencer's eyes. She wipes away the tears and gently places her lips against Spencer's closed eyes kissing them softly. The brunette buries her fingers in blonde hair while Spencer mirrors the action burying her fingers in Ashley's hair.

"I'm sorry Spencer."

"Don't be sorry just stay." She pleads and Ashley's heart breaks. She sighs and pulls away.

"I don't want to fight with you about this Spence can't we just enjoy each other's company and talk about it at dinner."

Ashley looks into blue eyes and they are pleading with her. Pleading her to stay, to explain, to help make sense of what's going on. Ashley sighs as she looks away knowing very well the longer she looks the easier she's going to break down. How is this fair? Spencer gets her to stay and she has to watch up close what she's been avoiding from afar. She is about to answer yes when Spencer reaches into her pocket for her phone. Her brows furrow as she ignores the call.

"Who was that?" Ashley asks, the words falling from her lips before she could stop them.

"Scott, I don't know why he's calling me." She says sliding the phone back into her back pocket.

"Maybe because you're his fiancée." Ashley answers with a shrug and she notices a look in Spencer's eyes. She can't quite place it. Regret maybe?

She mumbles out a 'yeah' and links her hand with Ashley's again pulling her towards the next exhibit. Just like every year they ignore the subject of Ashley. The brunette tugs on her best friend's hand and Spencer stops. She easily smiles as if she had not just been crying moments before.

"Are you happy?" Ashley asks staring fiercely into blue eyes.

A soft smile appears on Spencer's face as she walks closer to Ashley.

"Right now I'm ecstatic."

"But Scott…he takes care of you, he loves you?"

Spencer looks down nodding softly. Ashley lifts her head up gently by her chin.

"Spencer…"

She sighs, shrugging lightly. "He does. I know he does, I just…he doesn't love me the way I need him to?"

"What do you mean? What kind of love do you need?"

"A love like yours."

So whats the verdict?...Let me know how you felt, what you thought, what you liked etc...thanks again for reading.