Chapter Synopsis: Spencer and Alison discus Jason and Aria

~~~ Chapter 14 – Sisterly Concern or Gossip Call It What You Will ~~~

The third-time Jason finally got to take his time and rediscover her body that left Aria a boneless quivering mass. Jason pulled her into his arms and pulled the covers over them both. "We need to talk," she mumbled sleepily, "have something important to tell you."

"Shh," he shushed her, afraid of what she wanted to tell him and for now he just wanted to hold her and pretend she was here to stay. "We'll talk in the morning." she nodded already half asleep and he kissed her forehead, he would turn the lamp off in a few minutes, but right now he just wanted to watch her sleep in his arms.

Alison was coming quietly up the stairs after Lorenzo dropped her off for the evening when she noticed Jason's bedroom door was open about an inch or so and his light was still on, she peeked in to say goodnight, but what she seen had her eyes wide with surprise a hand over her mouth muffling the sound that threatened to come out. Jason was in bed and he was very much awake watching the sleeping brunette wrapped in his arms. Alison had never seen Jason look so peaceful as he just watched her tenderly as she slept and even in sleep her arms were wrapped securely around Jason as if she afraid he'd disappear in her unconscious state,

Alison hurried to her room, she knew it was late, but she had to call Spencer. The phone rang a few times before a groggy sounding Spencer answered the phone, "Lo." she mumbled.

"Spencer!" Ali said in a hushed voice, "you'll never guess whose here."

"You're going to have to speak up, I can't hear you." Spencer said crankily she had drank too much wine last night after talking to Caleb on the phone and getting depressed because of her the feelings for him that she could do nothing about.

"Spencer pull yourself together." Ali sighed in frustration, "forget it I'll be there in five minutes, have the door open and the coffee going."

Ali quietly walked down the hall, she had considered sneaking out of the window for old times' sake, but was afraid she would get stuck or something and make more noise than just walking past Jason's room and down the steps she peaked in again as she started to walk by and he was still watching the sleeping woman a soft smile curving his lips as he traced her features with a gentle touch. He seemed so engrossed she could probably stomp down the steps and he'd never know, but she didn't want to test that theory since she had some major gossip to share with his other half-sister and one of her best friends.

By the time, she walked into the renovated barn and into Spencer's kitchen she was standing at the counter waiting for enough coffee to fill her mug, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Okay Ali what is this all about, more wedding ideas." Spencer yawned her mouth wide

"Aria and Jason or in bed together!" Spencer had been mid yawn and suddenly she wasn't so sleepy anymore.

"What? Oh my god, you caught them," Spencer pantomimed with her hands, "you know."

"Having sex you mean?" when had Spencer turned into Emily? "No, thank God, but apparently they like to do it with the lights on." it was only as she was leaving that she remembered seeing the coffee cups and Jason's t-shirt when she got in and turned off the living room lights wondering why he had left them on instead of the hall light, like they usually did when one of them was out.

"Well they are attractive people." Okay that sounded like something Hanna would say.

"Yeah well that's so not the point and luckily he had already worn Aria out. Spencer, he was holding her and watching her sleep with this look that is hard describe."

"Creepy?" Spencer suggested jokingly. Had they worked things out, she wondered? She really hoped so, because she didn't know how Jason would handle losing her again. Last time had been rough.

Alison made a face at both Spencer's comment and her coffee, she grabbed the sugar spoon adding a couple extra spoons full as well as some more cream for extra measure.

"No, like he had everything he wanted right there in his arms."

"Well he has been in love with Aria for a good chunk of his life Ali, I mean he says one of the only things he remembers about that summer you disappeared was Aria's pink hair so I'm thinking he has had feelings for her probably even before then."

"I used to get so mad at him. I thought he was staring off into space because he was so wasted and just happened to be looking in Aria's direction. Of course, I would call him a perv and tell him to stop staring at her just to get a rise out of him and embarrass Aria who was in her own little world half the time. Do you think he liked her then?"

"Like I said, I think Jason has had feeling for Aria for a long time he just never acted on them until he came back to Rosewood that first time when she was dating Ezra." Spencer still felt guilty about her part in that, she knew that Aria had been developing feeling for Jason and felt guilty because of Ezra. Maybe if she wouldn't have sent Ezra after Aria, she would have gotten together with him and never had her heart broken by the one that had turned out to be not exactly the trustworthy guy Spencer thought he was. They had forgiven him after they found out about the book especially after he got shot helping them and Spencer had been happy to see and talk to him today. She sighed, "Looking back on it what he had done to Aria had been wrong on so many levels. When Aria decided, she couldn't be with him and broke up with him that last time, Emily, Hanna and I were not completely supportive of her position, we thought she was giving up to soon on the love of her life."

Alison nodded, she had already been arrested when Aria decided she could not handle being with him anymore because she didn't trust him and then the next thing she knew right before trial began Jason told her he was dating Aria. With her being in jail awaiting a murder trial and their mom's murder Jason seemed like he was actually as happy as a guy could be in those circumstances.

"Do you remember his face when they brought up the fling he had with Ashley Marin?"

"Eww, you had to bring that up?" it wasn't that Ashley was disgusting looking or even that she looked old it was that it was their best friend's mom and she did look old enough to be Jason's mom. "And yes I remember, he was trying to change his testimony to help you and somehow they found out about the affair, he was scared shitless because it made things look worse for you and Hanna than it would have looked if he would have just testified for the prosecution. Aria was sitting there and he was freaked over her, he kept looking at her with big pleading eyes, she just sat there looking a little disgusted, but not at all shocked. The day she met him and had breakfast a couple weeks before they got together, she was there because A said she would meet her. instead she ran into Jason and then A sent her to a flower shop where she had to deliver roses to Ashley Marin from Jason while Pastor Ted was there"

"Awkward." Alison commented

Spencer nodded and continued, "So Aria already knew, Jason just didn't know it and Aria was not exactly thrilled to hear any of the details, I actually thought they might break up over that.

Five Years Earlier

Aria sat at Spencer's house. Jason had tried to talk to her after court wanting to explain, but she wasn't in the mood to talk about it. What made him think she wanted to hear more about him and Ashley Marin. She had been relieved when Alison's lawyer had wanted to speak to him. Aria and Emily went to Spencer's trying to figure out a way to help their friends so far to no avail. No matter which way they turned they hit a dead end. It didn't help that the topic on Spencer and Emily's mind was Jason's testimony and its revelations that they were trying not to bring up since Aria and Jason had recently started dating. She noticed what they believed were covert glances, finally she couldn't take it anymore and said, "I knew about Ashley and Jason and so did Hanna."

"You did?" Emily asked.

"Yes," she said with a sigh, "remember when A said she, he, whatever they would meet me and it turned out to be a wild goose chase?" Spencer and Emily both nodded. "First, I was supposed to meet A at the Apple Grille, Of course A was a no show. Jason was there to meet someone and was stood up so we had breakfast together and we talked about Alison. After that A sent me to the florist to deliver roses to Ashley Marin. They were from Jason." she shrugged. "So yeah, Hanna and I have both known all along. Ok so enough about Jason and Ashley, let's try to figure out how to help Alison and Hanna and catch A before we all end up in prison. We're all way too cute." Aria added the lame joke that was just a little too close to the truth.

About an hour later Jason showed up at Spenser's door wanting to talk to Aria and she went outside to talk to him in private. "Aria let me explain about..." Aria stopped him.

"Look, Jason I already knew about Ashley." he looked at her with wide questioning eyes not knowing what to say.

"How?"

"A. That morning I met you, when you were supposed to meet Ashley, but she stood you up." Being reminded of that was a bit of a blow to his ego, but he wanted to know how she knew that. "I was supposed to be meeting A, that was who didn't show up that I was supposed to meet. A sent me to the florist next and I was told to deliver of bouquet of roses," Jason was now catching on, "they were for Ashley Marin, thanking her for the great night and they were from you. When I got there and Hanna seen them, she told me about seeing you leaving when she came home early."

"Why didn't you ever tell me Aria?"

"Because it was before we got together and was none of my business. Also why would I want to hear about you and Hanna's mom?" she was jealous obviously and the idea of him having sex with her best friends mom, that was old enough to be his mom wasn't exactly pleasant, especially when she knew that Ashley had way more experience than she did at eighteen and only two real boyfriend's and a weekend fling to her name before Jason so she didn't exactly have the experience thing and Jason wanted to wait until he was sure she was ready and had gotten over Ezra. "Jason, do you want to hear details about my relationship with Ezra or even Jake?"

"No!" he said annoyed at just the thought, he had never met Jake, but he still didn't want to think about him with Aria any more that he did Ezra.

"Well it is the same with me, I don't want to hear about you and Ashley, after today if I can help it and," for good measures she added, "I don't want to hear about you and anyone else as long as it's in the past, were good."

Jason pulled her to him, assuring her that it was in the past and that really for him, there had only ever been her, then he kissed her over and over until they heard Spencer clearing her throat, "So we're supposed to be trying to figure out how to help our friends and catch A. Would you mind putting the game of tonsil hockey on hold," Spencer ignored Aria's

"Eww Spence, nice imagery."

And continued as if she hadn't said a word "and help us out here, you too Jase." Later she was going to have a long talk with her brother and see what the hell he had been thinking. Ashley Marin? Really? Spencer barely controlled her shiver of disgust at the thought and to think poor Hanna had seen him leaving and Aria had delivered the roses, so gross.

End of flash back

"God that is still such a disturbing thought" Alison said

"I know." the two discussed the possibilities for a while longer then Alison and asked Spencer about the guy coming to visit before they decided they should get to bed, and Alison sneaked back into her house and as she walked by Jason's room the door was still open, but Jason was now asleep with Aria still wrapped in his arms looking at peace.

Notes: I always wanted to see more of Jason with his sisters on the show, I think Jason, Ali and Spencer could have been so fun. And with the right handling adding Cece to that mix could have been so fantastic. I was so disappointed when they made Pastor Ted Charlotte's dad. Ken and Mary having an affair resulting in Charles/Charlotte just has more appeal to me and adds more to CeCe's character.
What is you do you think? Please review

Thanks for reading,

GrimLi