Longest chapter to date (13 pages), to make up for no shout outs and the short chapter last post! Shout out's next chapter, promise. Hope you like it. PS imaferrari, so glad that fanfic messed up and you haven't left me!
Chapter 21: Two's company, Seven's a Crowd
Ashley nervously clenched her fists tighter. Her eyes darted around, taking in the new scene while she mulled over her different options. She glanced to her left and saw Spencer, large smile in place, her eyes laughing mercilessly at her.
While looking into those blue eyes Ashley realized her only option would always be to follow the blonde. But Ashley wasn't a sap, and she would be damned if she said that when Spencer was clearly mocking her, so she responded the best way she knew how to:
"Shut up Spence!"
"I didn't say a word Ash." Spencer replied, lifting her hands in the air as sign of surrender. The smirk on her face clearly proved that the blonde was finding immense pleasure in Ashley's discomfort.
The two girls had spent hours printing out the CIA material and began laying it out on poster boards, finding small connections and discussing possibilities, both noted through strings and/or post-its on the boards. The two were only sidetracked three times for short (relatively) make out sessions, when one or both couldn't stand not touching the other. Now the two sat outside of Arthur's house.
Ashley was terrified, and not just because Spencer drove there and had the attention span of a five-year-old watching CNN. No, Ashley was scared to face the Carlin-clan (especially Chelsea) given that they most likely knew that she was now making out with their little Spencer on a regular basis.
"Ashley, come on, they have already met you, know you, and like you! This is fine; telling them about us is good news! Plus, if anyone gets physical with you, I give you permission to karate chop them."
Ashley snorted out a laugh; she had no idea what Spencer pictured when she imagined a fight, but Ashley was certain she has never actually "karate chopped" someone. Spencer had gotten out of the car and was now slowly opening Ashley's door, offering her a hand.
Ashley looked up and the girl, a bashful smile on her face, while she slowly linked their hands together.
"You won't leave me alone with them, right?" Ashley questioned, scared the family was waiting to ambush her on the other side of that door.
"Ashley, you have been shot on more than five different occasions. I am sure you will make it through." Spencer smiled at the girl, but when Ashley continued to look at Spencer with wide eyes, the blonde finely relented.
"I already promised I would protect you. Don't worry, they are idiots, a little protective, but still idiots." Spencer managed to drag the brunette out of the car and into her arms.
A quick kiss in front of the car was all Ashley would allow, especially when she could feel eyes on them from inside the house. Spencer, slightly confused looked at the brunette, who simply smiled and nodded her head towards the front window, where ducking heads and moving curtains could be seen.
Spencer only laughed as she dragged the brunette to the front door. After walking inside, the girls were met with an awkward Arthur standing near the living room.
"Hello girls! I had no idea you were here!" Arthur said, clearly lying. Spencer looked to the right and saw the rest of her family standing in the living room, pretending like they weren't spying.
"Hey Dad." Spencer responded, going to give the man a hug and a kiss. Ashley bashfully stood behind Spencer, not really sure what to do. Arthur pulled away from his daughter, and looked at the brunette.
"Ashley! Get over here." He said, soft smile and arms open. Ashley slowly made her way and gave the man a hug, admittedly an awkward one, but a hug nonetheless.
Spencer turned towards the rest of her family in the living room and said a small "hey" and looked over at Ashley, seeing the girl was still slightly terrified. It was adorable, to say the least.
Before anything could be said, Arthur called for his daughter in the kitchen. Spencer looked at Ashley, offered her a small smile and a hand squeeze. Upon realizing that Spencer planned to leave Ashley alone, Ashley shot the blonde a deadly look. Spencer only smiled mischievously and made her way to the kitchen.
Ashley looked into the living room and was met with a serious looking Chelsea.
"Ashley, we've been waiting for you, take a seat." Chelsea said while pointing at the couch.
Ashley let out a small sigh while taking a seat on the couch. Feels like an interrogation the brunette couldn't help but think.
Chelsea stood, arms crossed, directing a lamp to shine on Ashley's face. To the left of her was Glen, trying to look intimidating but failing miserably because there was a baby strapped to his chest. And to Chelsea's right was, whom Ashley assumed, a confused looking Clay.
"So Spencer's Ashley, how are things with you and Spencer going?" Chelsea asked, knowing that she needed to shake down her best friend's new woman.
Ashley shifted somewhat nervously; she was very familiar with being interrogated, but not when it dealt with her feelings and emotions. "It's going pretty well, I think."
"Well Clay, Glen, and I just wanted to make sure-" Clay interrupted Chelsea's speech.
"Hey, Ashley, I'm Clay by the way. It's nice to finally meet you-" the boy had moved forward to offer a handshake to Ashley, but was stopped when Chelsea shrieked out "Clay!" and hit him on the arm.
He mumbled out a small "sorry" to Chelsea. The girl sighed in frustration and tried again, "As I was saying, Glen, Clay and I just wanted to make sure you know that we always have Spencer's back."
"Yeah." Glen said, his voice stern. His speaking apparently woke the small child strapped to his chest, and his stern face quickly melted when the baby began to stir. He began to coo the child.
Chelsea slapped her hand to her forehead. These idiots are ruining my intimidation plan. Chelsea quickly composed herself again and stared down the brunette on the couch, who was trying not to show amusement in the situation she was in.
"Anyways. We have Spencer's back, and if you ever hurt-" Chelsea was again interrupted by Spencer this time.
"Hey guys, come check out what Ashley did! She fixed Mom's car." The two boys' eyes got wide at that.
Glen gave Ashley a huge smile, "Hey Man! You finished it! Nice." He gave the brunette a small fist bump while going outside to check out the car with Spencer and Arthur.
"Wow, Ashley, that is impressive. That car is very special to all of us." Clay said, giving the girl a smile and quickly following his brother.
Ashley looked to Chelsea who was simply shaking her head in defeat. The girl turned around and looked out the window at the Carlin clan checking out the car. Ashley felt bad for Spencer's best friend. She knew first hand how terrible it was when an interrogation goes badly.
Ashley stood up from the couch and went to stand near Chelsea, watching the family examine the car.
"I get it Chelsea." The artist looked towards Ashley as she began to speak, "I understand how important Spencer is to you, to all of you. And I agree that things as special and precious as Spencer need to be protected the way you try to protect her."
Ashley was staring at the beautiful blonde outside. Her eyes softened as she watched the girl laugh at something Glen said while playing with the small baby girl that was attached to him.
Chelsea watched Ashley intently as the girl continued, "But I love her. I promise you that. Like, would rather listen to her complain about Jersey Shore than talk to anyone else love her. I love her like, wake up every hour to make sure this wasn't all a dream, love her. And if I ever do anything to hurt Spencer, I would probably beat the shit out of myself before you could ever get to me."
It was in this moment that Chelsea realized how perfect Ashley and Spencer were for each other, recalling the way Spencer had described her love for Ashley.
Chelsea was surprised to hear Ashley being so heartfelt. Granted the two hadn't spent much time with each other, but in the time they had spent together she realized how deeply guarded the brunette was.
Ashley was still watching Spencer interacting with her family. The blonde was genuinely happy, the smile on her face told everyone that. Even when she stumbled while walking up to the front door, Spencer still had a smile on her face. Ashley lightly chuckled at seeing her girl literally trip over her own feet.
"She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And while I can never match up to you, me being in her life means there is one more person to watch out for her." Ashley finally finished, turning towards Chelsea, a crooked smile on her face.
Chelsea smiled at the girl, "We are cool Spencer's Ashley. We are cool." Ashley sighed in relief; she knew how important Spencer's family's approval was, and if Chelsea approved the rest should be easier. The two began to walk towards the front to meet the rest of the family as they came back inside, but Chelsea grabbed Ashley's arm, getting her attention again.
Chelsea looked at Ashley and very calmly said, "But don't get her knocked up Ashley, she doesn't need a shot gun wedding and I am too sexy to be an aunt." Ashley could only laugh in response. Now I know where Spencer gets it.
"Shit." Spencer muttered, realizing that she had poured too much into her cup. Granted she wasn't really paying attention to the task; her focus was set on the cute brunette smiling with her father, while seasoning some of the food for the grill.
Arthur was ecstatic upon hearing that Ashley enjoyed cooking and had quickly whisked her away to the food area. Glen and Clay had both made their way over towards the grill, feeling a sense of male obligation to stand by the fire and talk about propane versus charcoal grills.
"I think it is sweet that Glen carts around that cute little girl when is on again off again girlfriend comes into town." Chelsea said, easily terrifying Spencer with her sudden appearance.
"Oh my god Chelsea! You scared the shit out of me." Spencer exclaimed, hand to heart and gaining the attention of the rest of the family. Spencer looked at her friend giving her a smile, and bashfully sent a smile to the rest of the group, as an apology for the outburst.
Ashley had sprung up and was almost halfway to the blonde after hearing her exclaim, but relaxed upon seeing that Spencer was fine. The girls' eyes met and Ashley sent Spencer an equally bashful smile when both registered that Ashley had unintentionally stolen the burgers from the grilling area.
Chelsea slightly bumped shoulders with her best friend, trying to pull her out of the trance that Ashley seemed to hold over her. Spencer's head eventually turned toward the girl and Chelsea greeted her with a huge smile.
"You wouldn't have gotten scared, or spilled you soda, if you weren't undressing a certain brunette across the lawn." Chelsea stated, smirk in place.
Spencer blushed and mumbled, "I was not undressing anyone." There was a slight pause and the blonde sighed in defeat.
"Never mind that, how mean were you and the boys to Ashley?"
"Not worse than normal. Although your brothers really suck at this, they kept messing up my badass speech."
Spencer smiled at her friend, "Aw, I'm sure Ashley was still terrified."
Both girls returned their gaze to the brunette girl whom Glen had recently handed the small baby girl over to. Ashley had a terrified look on her face as she held the laughing child at arm's distance away. Spencer's heart melted seeing Ashley struggle as Arthur showed her the proper way to hold the baby. Chelsea wasn't nearly as transfixed, but watched her best friend stare at the scene with such love in her eyes.
"You know, I didn't think she would win me over. Especially not after tequila-a-thon we had a few nights ago, but Ashley really does love you, and she is pretty wonderful."
Spencer looked at her friend, slightly shocked. Chelsea had never really given approval of any of her past relationships, so for her to accept Ashley made the blonde extremely happy.
Spencer looked back at her girl, whom was properly cradling the small child and Ashley's head shot up, their eyes meeting. Ashley gave Spencer a proud smile, having figured out how to hold the child, and Spencer sent Ashley a smile of her own.
Spencer, eyes still fixed on the brunette replied, "Yea, she is pretty wonderful."
Glen watched his baby sister and Ashley interact. They were both sitting at the picnic table outside; Ashley's back was to the table, elbows resting on its top and her feet were sprawled in front of her, while Spencer straddled the bench, her knees pressed against Ashley's side. Ashley had throw her head back to laugh at something Spencer had said, while the blonde watched the girl, a smile painting her face.
They had little physical contact, only Spencer's knees pressing against Ashley's side, but Glen couldn't help but feel as though he was witnessing something much more intimate. The way the two girls were with each other seemed as though no one else was there, and everything was meant for only the two of them.
By simply looking at them talking, Glen felt as though he had walked in one of them half naked. There was a level of intimacy he couldn't quite understand.
He liked Ashley enough, she obviously cared about his little sister, and that was what really mattered. Not to mention Ashley was pretty handy to have around, there was no telling how long the mustang would have sat in the garage if not for the girl.
Yes, Ashley did seem to care about his sister. Hell, even that afternoon Ashley was half way across the lawn, raw burgers in hand, before he could even register Spencer gasping in surprise. The brunette seemed good enough to hang out with Spencer for that reason alone.
Glen glanced back at the two; Spencer's hand was lightly resting on Ashley's jean clad knee while she now laughed at something Ashley said. Glen couldn't stand it; it was just too much for an older brother to take.
The blonde boy made his way over to the girls, he placed his hands over little baby Susie's eyes and said, "Hey, you two, lets keep it PG-13 in front of the children alright?" And with that Glen huffed away, leaving the two girls perplexed.
Ashley and Spencer looked at one another, confusion on both their faces, and then burst out laughing again. As their laughter subsided Ashley stated in a matter of fact tone, "Your brother is strange."
"Tell me about it." Spencer replied, a small smile on her face as she glanced over at Glen, Chelsea, and little Susie.
"Is Susie Glen's?" Ashley questioned, still a little unsure where this small child had appeared.
Spencer looked over at the two, a small smile making its way on her face when she thought about her surrogate niece.
"No. Susie is Glen's on and off girlfriend's daughter. Staci and him started dating a little after Susie was born; Staci's husband was an ass and Glen was there to pick up the pieces.
Staci travels a lot for work and Glen is a moron, so they tend to break up and get back together all the time, but no matter what their relationship status is, he has always loved little Susie. She just got back from Phoenix with Staci, so Glen brought her over while Staci caught up on some sleep."
Ashley nodded her head looking over at Glen and Arthur playing with the baby. "Glen is sweeter than I imagined."
"He is." Spencer agreed. The girls looked at one another smiling. They were broken out of their little staring contest when Arthur announced that the food was ready.
Everyone was sitting inside at the large dining table and had begun digging into their meals when Arthur decided to get some real dirt on his daughter and her new love interest.
Chelsea had briefed everyone that the two girls, had in fact, gotten together. Arthur was ecstatic and terrified all at once. He was the only one that partially understood that there was some sort of danger that being with Ashley put the blonde in. But he could see it in her eyes, there was no way that danger overshadowed the love between them.
"So, Ashley. When are you heading back to LA tomorrow?" Everyone at the table looked at Ashley expectantly, eager to hear what, exactly, was happening with her and the blonde.
Ashley's eyes nervously met Spencer's. They seemed to have a sort of silent conversation with one another, which ended when Spencer gave Ashley's hand a light squeeze.
"Well, um, I actually decided to move out here. So the only reason I will need to head back to Los Angeles is to pack up, and tie up some loose ends. I will probably go either tomorrow or the next day." Ashley replied, nervously fidgeting in her seat, while addressing the entire table. She knew they were all curious as to what was happening, so she didn't pretend as if this was a random point of conversation.
"Well, I see, welcome to town then!" Arthur said, pleased that he knew the two girls would remain close.
"So you are just moving here? That is crazy. What about your family and friends and life?" Glen asked, and soon after felt three feet kicking his leg. He muttered out a soft "ow" while Spencer, Chelsea and Clay all glared at him for the obtrusive question, while Arthur chuckled at his son's brashness.
"Ash you don't have to answer-"
Ashley cut Spencer off, "No, Spence its fine. I am between jobs, as you know, so now is a pretty good time to relocate. And I don't really have any ties in Los Angeles. Um, both my parents died when I was young, and I have no siblings, so I am free to sort of roam around."
"Hey, Ashley, I'm sorry I didn't-"
Ashley cut off Glen this time, "No, no. I know, it is fine. Don't worry at all. Past is in the past right?"
Spencer smiled at the brunette, giving her leg a light squeeze under the table. The table was quiet, and Clay decided to break the silence.
"So, have you already found a place in town to move into or are you still looking Ashley?"
Ashley's eyes got a little wide, and Spencer wanted to laugh at the brunette's obvious discomfort. The young doctor decided to cut the girl a break.
"Actually Clay, everyone, Ashley and I have talked, and we decided that she is going to move in with me, permanently, and not as, like, a roommate thing." Spencer said, blushing slightly towards the end.
Four heads shot towards the two girls in surprise. Then everyone turned towards Arthur, gauging his reaction.
"Wow, honey, congratulations, to both of you. I am glad that you will remain a part of all our lives Ashley." Arthur said, sincerity could clearly be heard in his voice.
Ashley let out a light sigh as the rest began congratulating them. At least that is taken care of she couldn't help but think. Spencer was answering various questions from the different family members, but something caught Ashley's ear.
"Yea, so we will probably head down to Los Angeles this weekend to get her stuff and bring back home."
Ashley turned towards Spencer, shooting her a serious look. "Spencer isn't coming to Los Angeles with me. She has already skipped far too much work because of me, so I will head to LA alone. Shouldn't be gone more than a night." Ashley was talking to everyone at the table, but it was clear her word were meant for Spencer.
Spencer met Ashley's glare with one of her own, "Don't be silly Ash, I have never used any vacation or sick days for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't want you to go to Los Angeles alone."
"Spence, no, you aren't coming with me to Los Angeles."
"Ashley, you really don't have much say in the matter."
Arthur could tell there was an obvious reason for Ashley wanting Spencer to stay home, and he assumed it had to do with her safety, "Spencer, honey, maybe you should listen to Ash-"
"Dad, I love you, but please, not now. Ashley is being dumb."
Chelsea, Glen and Clay watched as the two continued to bicker about the trip, enjoying the small drama that seemed to have no real substance to it.
"You are not coming."
"I am coming Ashley."
"Maybe I should come to Los Angeles with you guys too. I have been meaning-"
Glen was immediately cut off when Arthur, Ashley, and Spencer all yelled out "No!"
"Geez, a little dramatic guys. You probably woke up Susie." Glen replied, a little unsure why he wasn't allowed to go to Los Angeles.
Spencer and Ashley were still glaring at each other slightly, and then out of nowhere both started laughing hysterically. Everyone at the table was entirely confused except for Ashley and Spencer.
The two were still laughing, and Spencer had leaned in towards Ashley, their faces close as they both began to calm down. This entire fight in front of the family was ridiculous and when Glen decided he wanted to come, it was just too much for the girls.
Spencer placed a small kiss on the side of Ashley's head, and muttered out, "We can finish this conversation later" while Ashley nodded her head in agreement.
While everyone else at the table was confused and amused with the two girls, they were all happy to see that the fight was something that was easily shaken off by the girls.
Ashley then turned to conversation towards Chelsea and her latest art showing, and the meal continued on with laughs and lighter topics.
Ashley let out a big sigh as she settled on the piano bench, alone in the Carlin living room. The rest of the clan had moved out to the backyard for pie and poker. Ashley just needed a minute to herself. She wasn't use to family time, being open and friendly to people. It was harder than imagined to go from relative hermit to a normal member of society.
Ashley answered questions about her past as truthfully as she could, without giving everything away. Spencer had been there to help deflect and answer questions, but the family had an obvious curiosity about the girl whom had stolen Spencer's heart.
These things were all new to her, hell this relationship was all new to her, and she just wanted a moment of quite before she was sent into the lion's den again. Her fingers lightly brushed over the piano keys before she started playing random notes, random notes then turned into Bach.
Spencer noted the absence of the brunette almost immediately after the move to the backyard. She desperately wanted to find her, for nothing more than the selfish reason of being in her presence, but she understood this BBQ, her family, might be a lot for the ex-spy to take in. Instead of slowly making her way into normal life, Spencer had unintentionally shoved her off a cliff into it. The blonde understood going from nothing to this must be slightly overwhelming.
So the blonde sat outside as the rest of her family traded jabs about their poker playing. Finally the blonde had finished her dessert and had decided that she needed to find Ashley now.
As Spencer walked from the backyard into the kitchen, she could hear the faint playing of Bach coming from the piano. Sure enough, as she glanced over the breakfast counter, her brunette sat, back to the kitchen, playing the piano.
Spencer made her way towards the girl, leaning against the large entrance to the living room, opting to watch the girl play for a while. Ashley changed from Bach to Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed". The song slowly made its way through the room, and Spencer smiled. She noticed the small goose bumps that had formed on the brunette, but she gave no other indication of being aware of Spencer presence.
From Stevie, she moved on to Regina Spektor's "Samson", but halfway through the song, the brunette started playing something the blonde couldn't recognize. Spencer slowly made her way towards the girl, standing almost directly behind her.
"I knew all the others, but I don't recognize this one." Spencer said, not surprised that Ashley wasn't shocked by her presence in the slightest. The brunette leaned back into Spencer's body, happy that the girl decided to finally come closer.
Ashley stopped playing; marveling in how nice it was to rest lightly on the blonde's body. She closed her eyes, and finally replied, "I was just making that one up."
Spencer brought one hand up towards the girl's head, lightly stroking the hair, while the other rubbed Ashley's arm.
"I didn't even know you could play." Spencer said, still excited to discover all of Ashley's extensive hidden talents.
"I sort of just picked it up. It all boils down to math in the end anyways." Ashley opened her eyes, only so she could look into the cool cerulean blue she had come to love so much.
Ashley turned her head and gave Spencer a small kiss on the inside of her wrist. The blonde smiled at the contact.
"Think you got enough alone time, or can I hang around here with you?"
Ashley was so grateful that Spencer was so in tune with her. It made Ashley feel less awkward about her strange behavior and reactions to certain situations. The fact that the blonde simply understood was a gift Ashley cherished because she often had difficulty explaining what she felt.
"Alone time never means you have to leave, just the rest of the world." Ashley smiled, realizing how true those worlds actually were. She swung around on the bench, so she could stand up and face the blonde.
Spencer couldn't take it anymore. Ashley was just too beautiful and when she mindlessly threw out precious words like that Spencer couldn't help herself. She took a quick glance outside to make sure her family wasn't watching through the large glass door, and then launched herself onto Ashley, kissing her the way she had wanted to all day.
Ashley was slightly shocked at the action, but quickly found her footing and began kissing the girl back. Soft lips on soft lips, Spencer's tongue lightly requesting Ashley to part her lips. They kiss for a few short minutes, and finally Ashley pulled back, realizing they were in Spencer's father's house, with the family a glass sliding door away from seeing the heated display. But Ashley didn't pull back very far, leaving their foreheads to rest against each other.
"God, I missed that." Spencer said, trying to even out her breathing. Ashley simply smiled, bringing her hand up so her thumb could softly stroke Spencer's cheek. She placed a light peck on Spencer's lips.
"Me too."
"Sorry I left you alone with Chelsea, she shot me a 'get the hell out of here or I will kill you look', I hope it wasn't too bad."
Ashley smiled thinking about the "little talk" Chelsea had attempted.
"No it was okay. Glen and Clay made it fairly entertaining, but I think I passed the test by the end of it."
Spencer smiled, "Yea, Chelsea does that to all of my girlfriends." Both Spencer and Ashley's eyes widened at the term that slipped, and Spencer blushed a deep red.
"Not that you are my girlfriend, or I told everyone you are my girlfriend, she probably just assumed and you know Chels, and-"
Spencer was cut off when Ashley kissed her, trying to slow down the high-speed rambling that was starting to occur. The girls pulled away from one another again, Spencer a goofy smile on her face, and Ashley with soft eyes and a small smile.
"I am glad Chelsea assumed the worst." Ashley simply stated, and in her own way was able to reassure Spencer about their relationship status.
Ashley again glanced outside, and saw the family was still playing cards; she smiled in relief. Spencer had never been a fan of PDA herself, wanting to keep intimate moments private, but sometimes she looked at the brunette in front of her and couldn't help herself.
Ashley's head was still turned, looking at the family outside. Spencer, curious as to what the girl was staring at, lightly squeezed Ashley's hip. Ashley turned away and looked at the blonde, with a light smirk on her face.
"They are talking about us." She said, amusement, evident in her eyes.
"What! How do you know? Those jerks! What are they saying?" Spencer asked, her family was ridiculous some days, but was more eager to be able to eavesdrop on them.
"I can read lips." Ashley simply stated while turning her head back to look out of the glass door at the family. Spencer's eyes widened at that news, totally excited in hearing that because that skill could end up being a lot of fun.
"Well, first they noticed we were both missing, and then Glen grumbled something about us keeping things PG-13 while Chelsea laughed and both your dad and Clay blushed.
Then they started discussing me moving in with you. Glen is worried I'm a gold digger. Chelsea scoffed at that thought and is more worried that I am a heartbreaker. Clay is curious about how you seem so sure about all this, and your father sort of smiled and said 'Love is a whirlwind'. It looks like they are worried for you, but happy at the same time." Ashley finished, feeling slightly guilty at invading their privacy.
She turned to face Spencer again, smile on her face. Spencer gave her back an equally goofy smile, knowing that her family was worried about nothing. Ashley would never hurt her; it was the rest of the world they should worry about.
Clay watched as his brother got more and more annoyed as he continued to lose his money during the game. He smiled lightly, shaking his head at his antics. Today had been a good day, Chelsea was nice to him today (he was never sure if she would be nice or mean, as it seems to change every time they see one another), Spencer was happy, and he loved getting to see little Susie.
He got up and made his way into the kitchen for another soda. Clay thought about Ashley. She seemed like a smart girl. They had discussed computers for some time because Clay knew that was the line Ashley worked in, and was impressed with her knowledge, despite the fact that she seemed increasingly bored with the topic. She then asked about his case, and was able to offer a few past court cases that may help him with his own. That was impressive to say the least.
So he was glad Spencer found some one with intellectual substance, but it was more than that. Ashley could say something completely thought provoking and intelligent and then see Spencer making goofy faces at her across the lawn, and return them. She was easily able to switch from serious and smart to light and playful, it was a trait Clay had only seen in his younger sister. Clay was happy Spence could find someone that was on her level.
Nevertheless, Clay was worried for her. It seemed very fast for everything to be happening, and Spencer couldn't possible know that much about the brunette. He was worried for her, as any older brother would be. In that moment, Clay glanced up and saw the two girls on the couch in the living room.
Spencer had her legs slung over Ashley's lap, and Ashley's head was resting on Spencer's shoulder. Spencer was eating ice cream, right out of the container, and animatedly talking about something. Even though Ashley's eyes were focused on the TV in front of her, Clay could tell Ashley heard every word, responding when she needed to and allowing Spencer to go on and on.
As Spencer spoke she was mindlessly moving the spoon, holding ice cream, around and Ashley began to eye that, and finally moved forward, eating the ice cream Spencer had intended to eat. Ashley smiled at Spencer, when Spencer gave her a look of annoyance, amusement, and shock. Spencer got a devilish grin on her face, and brought a bite of ice cream up to Ashley's mouth. The brunette eyed the girl warily, but moved closer to the spoon, hoping to get a bite. Right before Ashley was going to eat the ice cream, Spencer took the spoon and smeared it on Ashley's cheek, hollowing in laughter.
Ashley looked shocked for a minute, chocolate coating her face, but smiled and lunged at Spencer, pinning her under her while she rubbed her sticky cheek onto the girl's face. Spencer and Ashley were both laughing uncontrollably while smearing ice cream on the other's face. Ashley pulled back a little staring deeply into Spencer's eyes, the laughter was gone, but both girls had a soft smile on their face. Spencer moved up, and gave the girl a light kiss on the cheek, where the ice cream was.
Clay turned away from the scene, allowing the two girls some privacy. A small smile made its way to his face as he walked back outside, his sister would be all right; if not, it would probably be worth it to her.
Everyone, but the two girls, had left Arthur Carlin's house. The late lunch had turned into a late lunch, early dinner, and come cleaning time, it amazed Arthur how quickly everyone seemed to need to get back home. But Ashley offered to stay and clean, and Spencer simply groaned and began picking up plates from the table, knowing there was no getting out of it.
Arthur loved fresh meat at these BBQ because they were always eager to help. He was glad to hear the two had seemed to work everything out. He worried over his daughter's stubbornness because he believed Ashley did have Spencer's best intentions and safety in mind all the time. His daughter was never one to lie down and wait, she always wanted to be in the middle of the action, but he hoped that in whatever situation these two girls were in, Spencer would play it safe. Arthur scoffed to himself and couldn't help but think that isn't likely.
Everything was cleaned up and the girls were grabbing their things. Arthur smiled as Ashley wordless slipped her own jacket onto the sleepy Spencer. Ever since Spencer was a little girl, she would get remarkably sleep, if only for an hour, after eating a big meal; he was glad that some things don't change.
Arthur noticed the ice cream stains on both girls' t-shirts, but decided some things shouldn't be questioned. They said their goodbyes, Ashley still a little uncomfortable when getting attacked in an Arthur Carlin Bear Hug, and made their way out to the car. Arthur watched through the window as the two walked hand in hand and Spencer said something to Ashley. Both girls stopped and Spencer's face lit up. Ashley took a step in front of Spencer and leaned forward a little.
Arthur laughed as he watched Spencer jump on the brunette's back, effectively getting a piggyback ride to the car. Both girls were laughing as Ashley spun them around in circles before making her way to the car. Ashley opened the passenger side door and instructed Spencer to hop off. Before getting into the seat Spencer smiled at Ashley and gave the girl a light, sweet kiss.
Ashley closed the car door, walking towards the driver's seat with a huge smile on her face. Arthur turned from the window and smiled to himself. He was glad that Ashley and Spencer had found each other. His only wish was that his wife could have been here to see their daughter as happy as they once were.
As the girls drove home, Spencer had almost instantly fallen asleep, despite the drive being less than five minutes. Spencer had grabbed Ashley's hand, lacing their fingers together while Ashley drove them home. Ashley had a light smile on her face and couldn't help but think that the meal had gone well.