"Why don't you wait out here Spencer while I talk to Ashley for a second," Charlie Noble motioned for the mother and daughter to take a seat.

"Um no, why don't you talk to me than her?" Spencer suggested.

"Ashley," Charlie motioned for the brunette to enter the office, "we'll be out in a minute." She spun on her heel and entered her office closing the door.

The room grew quiet as therapist and teen stared at each other, the ticking from the clock on the wall grew louder and louder as the silence thickened like a blanket on Ashley's shoulders, "So I've been to enough of these to know you want me to start talking first, right?"

Charlie chuckled, "No of course not Ashley,"

"Really?"

"Well partially, I'm here for Spencer not you as you said you already have a therapist."

"So what am I doing here?" Ashley started to relax probably for the first time in a therapist's office.

"I just have a few questions," Charlie pulled out a pad of paper.

"Okay, fire away..."

"How are you?"

Ashley slouched in the chair, "I knew it was about me..." she grumbled.

"No, Ashley it's not. Just answer the question,"

"Fine...let's see how am I?" she asked her self the question while thinking, "Okay I guess."

"Is that how you would describe your relationship with Spencer right now?" Charlie scribbled away on her piece of paper, the one thing Ashley hated most was the yellow pad of paper she never got to see.

"Of course not,"

"So how would you describe it?"

"Great, wonderful even..." Charlie glance up from her writing, cocking and eye brow, "Not great or wonderful," Ashley sighed.

"Why not?"

"We don't talk, not like we use to before Aiden and prom,"

Charlie heard the name, scanned her pages and realized Spencer had never brought him up. She wanted to explore this a little more but had to find the right approach because she was sure Spencer had said something to Ashley about giving to much away, "Right Aiden...have you talked to him?"

"Yes, once and the jack ass tried to rape me."

"He tried to rape you,"

"Didn't Spencer tell you?"

"Must of slipped her mind so what haven't you two talked about since prom?" Charlie set the paper down and leaned forward.

Ashley smiled and shook her head in disbelieve, "She didn't tell you anything about him or prom, did she?"

"Nope but you did and I really would like to know more," Charlie smiled back. Ashley liked this woman.

Leaning back she picked at her finger nails, "A lot happened. She thought I still had feelings for my ex boyfriend slash best 'boy' friend but I didn't at least not like she thinks. He's family, a brother, at least he was."

"And what about prom?"

"Well during a slow dance he professed his love for me and as stupid as I am I stood still caught up in the moment until I found out she told him to stay away from me, a whole chase down occurred, screaming, tears, gun shots, you know typical high school dance," Ashley rolled her eyes.

"I see, well I think that's enough for now can you send Spencer in,"

"Sure thing doc," Ashley gladly got up and walked out of the room feeling like she could breath again, "You're up..." they kissed really quick before the younger girl disappeared into the office.

"So what did you guys talk about?" Paula flipped thru an old magazine trying to feign interest in the subject.

"Am I allowed to talk about it?"

"I don't know," Paula answered back finally deciding the magazine wasn't even worth pretending to read. Screaming caught their attention, both sets of eyes stared at the door where they heard Spencer yelling but the door was to thick to hear what she was saying.

The door flew open and the girl rushed out and straight to Ashley, her hand fell across the brunette's face, "I hate you..." Spencer cried falling forward into the stun brunette's embrace.

Ashley had her arms around the sobbing girl as her wide eyes teared up from the force of the slap, glancing back and forth between Paula and Charlie.

"What the hell happened?" Paula pulled Charlie off to a corner while Ashley stood still with Spencer shaking in her arms.

"I...she, has she always been like that?" Charlie asked, the moment Aiden's name was brought up the girl lost it. Her chair went flying, her legs paced back and forth, curse words tumbling out like a second skin, voice pitching to octaves Charlie didn't think possible.

"No, she was such a sweet girl. Caring and nice, compassionate..."

"Are you sure she's taking her medicine?"

"Of course Charlie, ever time I check her mouth to make sure."

"Has she done that before?"

"What, hit Ashley?"

"No the sudden violent outburst?"

"Yes and it's usually when we least expect it. Like everything is fine than bam she's going off, like the fight she got into at school with Aiden..."

"She fought him as well..." Charlie sighed wishing she had all the information before taking on this case, grabbing her temples massaging them counter clock wise, "And the fastest way to calm her down?"

"Your looking at it," Paula pointed to the two girl's who were now sitting down in the chairs. Spencer seemed to be apologizing while running her hand lightly over the cheek she had slapped as Ashley forced a tired smile her way.

"Ashley?" Paula nodded, "Do they sleep together?"

Paula did a double take, "Huh?"

Charlie refrained from laughing and repeated, "Do they sleep in the same bed together?"

"Yes,"

"As of now that has to stop, Spencer needs to learn to rely on her self more than on Ashley. And I'm going to up her dose because that is not suppose to happen," she referred to earlier.

"Is she getting better?" Paula found the courage somewhere deep inside to ask.

"I don't know Paula, one minute I'd say yes and the next..." she sighed, "she has severe depression and anxiety. Is there anything else I need to know, tension, stress, major changes besides moving up here?"

"She recently found out she's...um...into girls," Paula choked it was going to be a while for her to get used to saying it.

"So she's moved to a city that greatly differs from her old home, found out she's gay, fallen in love, shot and in a coma and lost her father in little over a year?" Paula nodded, "No wonder she's messed up. Well I'll have to see her again, make it Tuesday the sooner the better."

"Um can we make it Thursday?"

"Why?"

"Well we have a surprise for her but, do you think we should do it still with what happened here?"

"Yes," there was no hesitation, "I told you Paula approval and love and patients is what she needs...and sometimes a swift kick in the butt. I'll see you on Thursday than." The two hugged and Paula collected the girls and headed home.

Spencer was told to go upstairs and lay down for a while, "I don't think I can do it..."

"Ashley she didn't mean to do it..."

"Stop it, okay...she never means to do it but...God she smacked me and for what, mentioning that bastards name, how was I suppose to know she didn't tell the doc about him."

"I get it, your hurt and upset and if you need a break, take it."

"You don't get it...wait, what...what break?" the teen felt fear rise up in her gut. She had to stay with the blond, protect her like she should have done on prom night, save her from everyone including her self.

"Charlie is putting a stop to you two sleeping in the same bed together and maybe it'll be a good idea if you take off for a while. Go home be with your sister, make Spencer realize how much she needs you." Paula insisted.

"Is this because you don't want me around?"

"Ashley listen, I like you now...it doesn't matter why but I do. Your seventeen years old, you shouldn't have to deal with this."

"Spencer's seventeen too, she shouldn't have to go thru this..." Ashley began to cry, she was trying so hard to hold back the tears, "Every night she has a night mare, every night Paula...her body shaking cold underneath me. I can't make them go away, no matter how hard I try I can't. She screams for me, did you know that...her voice sounding just like it did just before the shots went off, my name not yours or any one else's mine. I..." Ashley collapsed into the older woman's arms, "I want to help her...I need to, I'm sorry I didn't protect her..."

"Shhh, Ashley you did everything you could." Paula assured the young teen.

"Why can't I take the night mares from her?"

The two stared in the kitchen for all most an hour, holding one another and talking things thru.

"So after the surprise you'll go away for a couple days," Paula stated the game plan.

"Right," Ashley agreed, "But when do we tell her?"

"When we get back, now go up there and work that so called Davies magic I've heard about and get her ready the plane leaves in two hours and remember..." Paula pointed at Ashley who was walking backwards.

"Don't tell her, I got it..." she winked before rushing upstairs.

TBC.