A/N: In hopes of sneaking back into your good graces...here is an extra long chapter for you guys. Life is settling back down after I've been fighting the good fight...and will continue to do so. Smiles all around and the continued comments and reading. Thanks...sincerely...for following my little story here. I hope you'll continue to stick around. Much love!

Disclaimer: Never changes

Chapter 25:

Ashley parked her car in the first spot she came to outside of Spencer's building. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, she realized she was a little more than early, 45 minutes to be exact. Shrugging her shoulders she exited the convertible, grabbing the single white rose from the passenger's seat, and headed toward the office building.

"Hi Piper," she smiled, walking toward the receptionist's desk.

"Hey there Ashley, how are you doing?"

"Good, thanks. Um, is Spencer around?"

"No she's not honey, she just left about 20 minutes ago for an early lunch. Did you bring that rose for me?"

Confused, Ashley held up the rose, looking at it, before responding. "Well, I brought it for Spence, but since she ditched out on our lunch date, yeah…it's for you."

Ashley handed the rose to the surprised red head and turned to leave.

"If it helps any, it was a last minute meeting that came up, Ashley," Piper called after the brunette's retreating form.

Ashley paused at the door before turning to meet the kind woman's eyes, "Thanks Piper," she responded, before heading out the door.

As she walked toward her car, Ashley contemplated leaving, but decided she would take the time to cool down by walking down to the bistro and having lunch on her own.

As she approached the entrance, she decided to take a table right outside, sitting down closest to the door. She knew she wouldn't have to wait as long if someone saw her sit down right away.

Before she knew it, she was sitting in front of a grilled chicken and avocado salad, with a side of fruit. It didn't take her very long to dig into the delicious food she had hoped to enjoy with her girlfriend.

As time passed, Ashley could feel the disappointment slowly leaving her body. Spencer had a demanding job, and they had both been through a lot lately, so she really shouldn't just jump to conclusions about her missing their lunch date. It was just so hard to fathom why she wouldn't have at least called. Whatever kept her attention must have been a pretty big deal.

As the brunette finished her lunch, she sat back in her chair, taking in her surroundings.

There was a small barber shop on the corner across from where she sat, with only a few men milling around inside. Next door to the shop was an entrepreneur's clothing store. She continued to make her way down the line and noticed a small diner a block up, making a mental note to check the place out next time she came out this way for lunch.

The mental note was soon erased.

She noticed the blonde hair before anything else, and that immediately caused her to sit up straight in her chair. When the girl turned around, she recognized the smile of her girlfriend almost instantly. Reaching into her purse, Ashley removed enough money for her bill and quickly dropped it on the table.

She continued to watch Spencer engage in conversation with a guy, whose back was now to her, preventing her from seeing who he was. The blonde had a smile on her face, but it didn't reach the corner of her eyes, so whatever she was talking about wasn't totally pleasing to her.

He must be a patient of hers, Ashley thought to herself.

Ashley rose from her chair and was about to head back to her car when she saw Spencer's hand taken by the guy she was sitting with.

The brunette stood in shock, knowing then that this wasn't a patient. She knew that Spencer was a hands-off person with her clients, and why would they need to touch her anyway…she was the one that was supposed to be doing the comforting.

Ashley watched as Spencer slid her hand out from under the man's and rested them in her lap. The blonde remained engaged in the conversation, but was soon standing to leave, the mystery man following suit.

The brunette continued to gaze on at the two as they stood in, what looked like, an awkward parting, before the guy stepped forward and slid his arms around her girlfriend. Spencer reciprocated the hug, though not fully, but the guy she obviously knew was pulling her close to him, running his hands up and down her back. Ashley could feel her stomach starting to turn.

As Spencer pulled away, the man turned around to be by her side and that's when realization set in for Ashley. It was Jason, Katelyn's father, and her one-time friend. She couldn't grasp any reason why Spencer would have lunch with him, or why she would let him touch her and hug her the way he did.

Ashley could feel the tears burning her eyes as she started to back pedal, not releasing her eyes from the two people in front of her until they were met by deep blue. She saw Spencer's posture straighten and her eyes grow wide in realization at what Ashley had just witnessed. Spencer's shake of the head went unnoticed.

Turning in her tracks, Ashley began to jog toward the parking spot that housed her car. As she got closer to the vehicle, she slowed her pace to a brisk walk. Reaching for the handle, she heard footsteps behind her and the firm grasp on her upper arm that could only belong to Spencer.

"Stop Ashley, please…wait," the blonde begged, out of breath from running to catch up.

Ashley shrugged the girl off of her and moved back a step to put some space between them. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look at her girlfriend.

"Look, you have to let me explain what…"

"What I saw?" Ashley finished for her, staring at the side of her car.

"Will you please look at me?"

Ashley slowly shook her head, maintaining eye contact with her get-away car. "I don't think that's a good idea right now Spencer. In fact, whatever conversation you're wanting to have right now, probably isn't such a good idea either."

"Why? Because you want to jump to conclusions and run like you normally do?" Spencer challenged.

At the blonde's tone, Ashley's head snapped up and she looked at the girl with much pain in her eyes.

"Fuck you Spencer. I have changed so much, trying to be a better person for you…for me…for us! So you don't get to throw shit in my face right now. We had plans today, and you stood me up…to meet with Jason, of all people."

"Were you spying on me?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I came early to get you because I couldn't wait to see you…and when Piper told me you had already left for lunch I gave her the rose I brought you and decided to walk and have lunch anyway…and to think I actually felt guilty for being a little upset that you just took off without at least calling me. Ha…I guess I know why you didn't call now."

Spencer dropped her eyes to her feet for a minute, feeling so guilty for hurting Ashley.

Ashley saw the defeat in her girlfriend's face, but was too hurt herself to worry about anyone else's feelings in that moment, so she turned around and opened her car door, dropping down into the driver's seat.

The sound of the door shutting broke Spencer from her spot and she reached through the car window, gripping the door.

"Ashley, please…" Spencer pleaded, tears falling freely down her cheeks.

"You keep saying 'please,' and 'let me explain,' but I've yet to hear anything substantial leave your mouth Spencer."

Staring at one another for a few moments, Ashley felt her heart break all over again. The memories from their haunted past came flooding back, intensifying the hurt.

"I have to go," Ashley voice broke as she just shook her head.

"Can I come over, or meet you, or call you, or something later? Please Ashley, I want to talk about this. I need you to know what you saw," Spencer pleaded.

"Not tonight, okay," Ashley responded, staring at her dashboard. "I can't even explain how hurt I am right now Spencer, and I don't want to take that out on you by saying something I shouldn't. I will call you…I just need some space for a bit."

The doctor nodded her head before standing up next to her lover's car, tears continuing to fall.

"I love you," Spencer offered, sounding totally broken.

Raising her head to meet the blonde's eyes, Ashley felt her heart clench at the sight of her girlfriend's tear-stained cheeks. Biting her bottom lip, Ashley nodded her head, "Me too."

Within minutes, the brunette was gone.

Spencer stood in the parking lot watching Ashley leave until she was completely out of sight.

"I guess that was my fault," came the low voice from beside her. "I'm sorry Spencer."

The blonde just nodded, accepting Jason's apology with ease. "It's my fault, not yours. I should have called her…I just…forgot. I mean, you showed up wanting to talk about Katelyn and that became my focus. This is my doing."

"Do you want me to go after her, try to talk to her and tell her why I'm here?"

"No…she isn't going to listen to anything you have to say," Spencer answered, turning to face the man next to her. "She may have forgiven me, but she will never forgive you for your part in all of this."

Jason nodded his head, staring down at the ground. "Well, you know why I'm here."

"Yeah, I do. And like I said at lunch, I'll need time to think about all of this," Spencer replied, turning to head back to her office. "I'll give you a call soon, okay?"

Walking into the main area of her office, Spencer was met by questioning eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Spencer responded.

"Ashley was here…"

"I know. I saw her."

"She brought this for you," Piper responded, extending the white rose in Spencer's direction.

Feeling tears threatening again, Spencer just smiled and headed straight for her office, quietly shutting the door.

She allowed herself to cry for a few minutes before she picked up her cell phone sending Ashley a text message.

I love you more than life. He is here about Katelyn. I should have called you. I'm sorry.

Clicking send, Spencer placed her phone down on the desk and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Time began to slowly tick by, and the more it passed, the further away from her work she became. She knew she was just silently waiting for a response from Ashley.

At 5:30pm, that response still hadn't come, so Spencer packed up her belongings and headed for the door. There was a sticky note on the window next to the exit door from her dad, "I'm getting Katelyn and keeping her tonight. Go home and rest." Smiling at her dad's knowledge of everything in her life, Spencer pushed through the door and headed home.

After moping through her evening, Spencer curled up on the couch in front of the television around 10:30pm. She watched the evening news and felt her eyes grow heavy a mere hour later when she was startled back to life by a knock at her front door.

Not wanting any company for the night, she ignored the knocking and nestled further down into the couch. There was another knock before everything when silent.

The buzzing of her phone interrupted her silence. She snatched it off the coffee table and noticed it was from Ashley.

Let me in. I know you're home.

Not if you're going to be mean and short with me, Spencer responded.

I will be mean and short if you don't open the door Spencer.

Dropping her phone back on the table, Spencer slowly made her way to the front door, slowly pulling it open to reveal her exhausted looking girlfriend.

Before she could even think about saying anything, Spencer found her arms locked in Ashley's grip, and the brunette's lips fused to her own.

Moaning at the feel of Ashley's tongue touching her lower lip, Spencer moved to step forward and deepen the kiss when Ashley suddenly released her and took a step back. Catching herself, Spencer took a step back, touching her lips with her fingertips.

"I missed kissing you today," Ashley stated matter-of-factly.

Spencer barely nodded as her erratic girl pushed passed her and into the house.

"I'm still so upset Spencer, but I didn't want us to go to bed without finding some kind of resolution," Ashley continued, moving around the couch to sit in the spot Spencer had just recently vacated.

"Okay," Spencer agreed, locking the front door and heading over to sit down next to Ashley on the couch.

"I called your dad. I didn't tell him what happened, I just asked if he would keep Katelyn so you and I could talk."

"He saw me leave with Jason today," Spencer admitted.

"Then he knows why we're talking," Ashley cut in.

"I'm sorry for not calling you today and letting you know what was going on," Spencer started. "Jason showed up, wanted to talk about Katelyn, and my focus just shifted to that. I know it's no excuse…"

"No, it's really not. Do you have any idea what thoughts were running through my mind seeing you two there? I had to feel all of those old feelings creep back in from when you slept with him…and watching him touch you, and hold you a little too close…GOD," Ashley seethed, standing from her spot.

Spencer reached up, grabbing the brunette's hand and pulling her back down to sit on the couch.

"I was so mad, and hurt, and sick," Ashley continued.

"I'm sorry."

Ashley turned to look at the girl sitting broken beside her, and it hit her that Spencer was just as broken by her actions as she was. Leaning over, she laid her head in the blonde's lap, kicking her feet up on the couch next to her.

Spencer immediately ran her fingers through Ashley's unruly curls, and leaned down to place a kiss to the side of the brunette's head.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I'm tired of all the apologizing," Ashley admitted. "I just want us to have a chance Spencer…but damn…why does it seem like that's never going to happen?"

"We are having our chance right now, Ashley. It's just not the perfect second chance everyone hopes and dreams about…it's real, and it's hard…but it's worth it. At least, it's worth it to me."

"What does he want?"

Spencer continued to soothe the girl in her lap by running her fingers through her hair. "He wants to know about Katelyn."

"And?"

"And….he wants to know if he can try to make up for lost time, and be a part of her life."

Ashley let out a sigh and reached a hand up to wipe away the silent tears that began to fall.

"What are you thinking?" the brunette questioned.

"I'm thinking it's a decision that you and I need to sit down and talk about, so that's what I told Jason. I told him I would call him soon."

Ashley nodded against the blonde's legs, increasing the grip she had on Spencer's lower half.

The girls stayed in their current position for a little while longer until Ashley started to get up, swinging her legs off the couch and onto the floor.

The brunette looked at her girlfriend with tired eyes, offering her a timid smile.

"I should go home. You need to get some good sleep before work tomorrow, and it's already after 1," Ashley stated, looking at the clock on the wall.

Spencer leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, cradling her face in her hands, and tilting her head to the side to gaze at Ashley.

"You don't want to stay with me?"

Ashley bit her lip, looking at the beautiful girl in front of her with the most love.

"It's not that I don't want to stay, you know that. I just…"

"It's ok. You don't have to explain," Spencer cut in, slowly dragging her body from the couch. "I'll walk you out."

"Spencer…"

"I said it's okay, Ashley. I'm in no position to ask anything of you right now, I know that."

"I just need to work through this, Spence. I'm hurt, and processing all of my emotions while dealing with the pain from the past that has come back to haunt me, and I don't want to take any of that out on you."

"I get that. And I'm sorry that it was all thrown at you without warning, but don't forget that I didn't get any warning either, Ashley."

The brunette frowned, looking down at the wood floor.

Spencer stepped forward, running a hand across the brunette's cheek and into her hair.

"If we are in this thing for the long haul, and are even considering marriage, I don't want to worry that whenever something hard crosses our path you are going to need to be away from me to work through it."

Ashley met the blue eyed blonde with a determined stare.

"I just don't want you to shrink me."

"I'm your girlfriend, Ashley, not your doctor…not anymore."

Leaning forward, the blonde placed a chaste kiss to the rock star's lips. She mumbled an 'I love you' against her girlfriend's mouth, then placed one more kiss before pulling away and heading for the stairs.

"Do you want me to come with you still? Or should I go on home?" the brunette questioned, looking a little uncertain.

Spencer stopped on the bottom step and turned to look at Ashley, "You are always welcome to come to bed with me, and to stay with me here."

Ashley flashed the younger girl a soft smile and headed for the steps, grabbing the blonde's hand when she reached her, allowing herself to be lead upstairs.

It was mere minutes before both girls were tucked under covers in Spencer's bed, and settling in for the rest of the night.

Wrapping herself around the blonde's body, Ashley placed a kiss to an exposed shoulder and was met with a relaxing sigh.

"Goodnight, Ash."

"Goodnight, Spencer. I know we'll figure this out. I love you."

"Me too."