Heart of Nowhere

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Ha-ha, but don't I wish…

Summary: Spencer and co. return to Ohio. (Dude, that rhymes!) Ashley's not willing to let it go with just a simple good-bye.

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"Welcome to Ohio, Ashley of LA."

Soon…

"Where are we?" Ashley asked, looking around the small town.

"You're in the heart of the town, Ash." Spencer smiled and gestured to the blue diner in front of the six of them, "This is Tony's Diner. The hottest spot for us high school kids."

"Oh really." Ashley muttered, the diner didn't look that hot.

"Yeah, I love this place." Spencer said, smiling dreamily. "I have a lot of funny, but weird, memories of this place."

"I don't even want to know." Ashley held out her hands in front of her, shaking her head. "I'm not even gonna ask…"

"Ok, that's probably a good idea on your part." Spencer laughed, grabbing Ashley's arm and leading the group into the diner.

"Hey, let's sit in a booth so we can talk privately." Christian suggested, throwing an arm over Stephanie's shoulder and lead them to the closest empty booth.

They all scooted in, Ashley next to Spencer, who was seated next to Nicole. They were seated across from Stephanie, then Christian and Sam.

"So…What's good here?" Ashley asked, looking around the group.

The unanimous reply was, "Burgers."

"Ok, then I guess I should get the grilled cheese." Ashley muttered sarcastically.

"Ash!" Spencer laughed, throwing an arm over the brunette's shoulder, "Cute."

"Really? Cuz it wasn't a joke, I want the grilled cheese." Ashley pouted, shrinking in the blonde's half-hug.

Spencer and her gang glared at her, faces all asking if she really was serious, and Ashley laughed, "I'm just kidding! Jeez, you'd think that the burgers here are like, some right of passage or something."

"They are." Sam said seriously.

"What?" Ashley gulped, "Are you serious? Spence?" She half expected Spencer to break down laughing…But it never came.

Spencer nodded; face dead serious, "They really are."

"So, I'm getting a burger." Ashley said, avoiding the groups' looks and folding away her menu, "Now where's our waiter? I need to order this great burger of yours!"

The group laughed and Spencer couldn't help but smile at the out of place brunette. "We're just messing with you Ash, you can get whatever you want."

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief, a small smile coming to her features, "But I do want a burger…I'm starving and airplane food sucks."

The group laughed again and soon they were all chatting like old friends. For Spencer, they really were, but they were also quickly becoming people Ashley would love to be friends with. She now understood why Spencer was such a good person, with an even better heart.

Ashley smiled, watching the blonde talking animatedly with the other girls, laughing and smiling widely. She didn't notice when Nicole whispered something in Spencer's ear but she did notice when Spencer blushed and turned to face the brunette.

"Ash?" Spencer whispered, pulling Ashley from her thoughts, "Do you need something, hun?"

Ashley shook her head, "No, I was just listening…And thinking…" Ashley smiled again, "I'm good."

Spencer leaned back in her seat, now she was elbow to elbow with the LA native, "Thinking? Since when?"

"Ouch, Spence, that hurt." Ashley pouted sarcastically, "I think."

"I can see that now." Spencer smirked, "I didn't know that about you."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Spence…" Ashley cooed, leaning into the blonde.

"Good thing you're here so I can get to know some of these things…" Spencer whispered, she was getting close to Ashley's mouth now.

"So what kind of memories have you got of this place?" Ashley smirked, snapping the Ohio native out of her trance.

"Oooh that was mean, Ash, mean." Spencer laughed, shaking her head at the brunette. "I just wanted a kiss…"

"I know you did. Terribly sorry about that, but no can do." Ashley smirked, seeing the look of utter and complete disbelief cross the blonde's face.

"Ashley!" Spencer pouted, grabbing the brunette and kissing her before she could protest further. They group grew red at seeing the display of affection because as much as they loved the girls, they were about to place their orders.

"Ladies?" Stephanie stuttered, trying to get the girls' attention. "Ah-hem!"

"Sorry…" Spencer and Ashley muttered, separating ever so slightly.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it, Ash?" Spencer grinned like the Cheshire cat on cat-nip.

"Guess not…" Ashley pouted, "But you did steal that kiss." She wagged a finger at the blonde, "And that's a no-no."

"Huh?" Spencer managed to get out before Ashley's mouth devoured hers.

"So yeah…They both want the cheeseburgers…" Sam said, smiling sweetly at the waitress who stared open-mouthed at the two girls' obvious display of affection.

"What do they want on it?" The waitress managed to stutter out.

"Uh…Cheese?" Stephanie replied sarcastically. Their waitress shot her a look, "Ok, um, how about lettuce, tomatoes and cheese?"

"Ok…Be out in a few." The waitress finally managed to pull her eyes away from the couple and leave them alone.

"Well, that was awkward." Nicole grumbled, glaring at the waitress, who was still watching them! What the hell?

"No doubt…I wonder if they're gonna do that a lot?" Christian wondered aloud and the group gave a collective groan.

"Probably." Ashley smiled at the group over Spencer's shoulder.

"Mmmm…My girl smells like…Uh…I can't quite place it actually." Spencer moaned, "Damnit."

"Aw, it's ok Cuddle-bum." Ashley cooed, "No one can name this, special order. Just for me." Ashley smiled cockily.

"Here are your orders." The waitress had returned, this time with a fake happy grin and all of their food. All burgers.

"Thank you." The group said collectively before grabbing their burgers and chowing down.

After eating…

"Well, it's getting late and I guess I should be getting Ash and I back home and reintroduced to the family." Spencer sighed as they stood outside of the diner, prepared to part ways for the night.

"Ok." Sam smiled, "We all should be getting home soon, too." Sam was always the protective, safe kind of guy.

"Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow." Spencer called to her friend's retreating backs.

"I can see why you kind of didn't want to leave this place." Ashley muttered, looking at Spencer's friends getting smaller as they walked even further into the growing darkness. "And I can kind of see why you wanted to come back."

"Ash…They're great people, my best friends…But Ohio is, was, missing one thing…" Spencer paused, lifting Ashley's head up to look at her as she told her, "You."

Ashley let a small smile form on her lips, still not feeling completely secure about her relationship with Spencer yet, she whispered, "You say that now…" Sarcasm, yeah, that'll help.

"Ash, I'll say that forever." Spencer whispered, kissing the still mopey brunette. "Cuz I mean it."

"I love you Spencer." Ashley whispered, and then they headed, hand-in-hand, back to face the Carlin clan. Together.

At the Carlin household…

"Ok, a situation like this has to be handled delicately." Spencer began their prep-talk. "Very delicately."

Ashley nodded her agreement, deciding she would add her two cents, "But we -"

Spencer cut her off, "Shush." She held a finger to her lips and Ashley's, pressing her head against the front door, straining to listen to the muffled voices.

"Why is there a bag and a guitar case on Spencer's balcony?" A female voice, probably Paula's asked and Ashley cringed.

"How am I supposed to know?" A boy, mostly likely Glenn, answered.

There was a muffled sigh and someone else said, "It could be one of her friend's stuff. You never know." Sounded like Clay.

"I guess you're right." Another sigh, "Clay, where is your sister anyways?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Clay copied his brother.

"You boys…" Paula sighed, "I'm going to bed…"

Spencer looked over at Ashley, distress all across her features, "We have to go in…NOW!"

And so they barged in, Ashley posing like she had kicked the door down, Spencer laughing her head off at the brunette.

"Spencer! Ashley?" Paula shrieked, hands over heart in shock. "What the -?"

"Hey mom." Spencer smiled sheepishly.

"How ya doing Mrs. C?" Ashley asked, "Where's the Mr.?"

"Right here, Ashley." Mr. Carlin appeared at the top of the steps, an older woman holding tight to his arm. "It's good to see you, Ash." He smiled whole heartedly at the brunette, who blushed.

"Hi grandma." Spencer smiled taking the older woman's arm and leading her to the sofa.

"Sit here, next to me." Grandma Carlin said, patting the seat on the sofa next to her and gesturing to Spencer, who was more than happy to obey.

"So…What are you doing here, Ashley?" Paula asked curtly, but in all honesty she just wondered when the brunette would be leaving.

"I came to see Spencer." Ashley muttered, highly embarrassed for some reason. She felt slightly reassured when Spencer reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Oh really?" Paula asked venomously, taking a step closer to the LA native that she had tried to leave behind.

"Yes." Ashley said, her voice firmer, more sure of herself.

"I'm glad that you came Ashley." Arthur smiled at her, Clay nodded, agreeing with his father. Glenn gave a grunt, not really care one way or another. Spencer couldn't help but beam at her family, erm, most of it that is.

"Ash is gonna be staying with me, in my room, while she's here, ok mom?" Spencer said, but to her it didn't really matter if the older blonde said 'no'.

"Oh really, Spencer? Who said she could?" Paula asked, completely mortified at the thought of Ashley sleeping in the same room as her daughter.

"I did." Grandma Carlin suddenly said, startling and alerting everyone of her presence.

"You what? Mother?" Paula asked, her voice shaky.

"Ashley will be staying with us. In Spencer's room." Grandma Carlin assured her, smiling at the two girls who couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Really?" Spencer asked, looking at her grandmother strangely, like she was expecting the older women to despise Ashley as her mother did.

"Yes." Grandma Carlin stood, "Spencer, ever since you got here, all I've heard from your little mouth has been 'Ash this' or 'Ash that' or 'Ash says'. She's the only person you talk about, and your face positively lights up whenever you say her name. Whoever causes that reaction in you must be good, so Ashley, you may stay in Spencer's room."

Spencer and Ashley were so touched by Grandma Carlin's speech that they both hugged her and thanked her before heading up to Spencer's room together, holding hands.

"Are you sure you want to do this, mother?" Paula asked, eyes wide and fearful.

"Yes, now stop ragging on that poor girl Paula, Ashley's done nothing wrong." Grandma scolded her and Arthur suppressed a chuckle.

"But she made Spencer -" Paula tried to argue, feebly.

"She did nothing to my granddaughter that she did not want to happen." Grandma said, loud enough to shut Paula up. (A/N: FINALLY :sigh of relief:)

"I agree with you mother." Arthur smiled, "I'd been trying to get Paula to accept Ashley all this time…But you got her to do it in five seconds!" Clay and Glenn laughed, heading off to the kitchen for a snack.

"You're welcome Art." Grandma smiled, "Boys, why don't I make you some milkshakes?" She offered, following them. "You can take some to Spencer and her girlfriend when we're done…" And her voice trailed off.

Only Paula and her husband remained in the living room.

"What's going on here, Arthur?" Paula asked, "What's happening to my family?"

"We're living Paula. Something you would know about if you came home once in a while." Arthur sighed, heading into the kitchen, "Who wants to make me a milkshake?"

"This is sooo wrong…" Paula muttered.

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Well, how do ya like them apples? Lol. You know you want to review…C'mon folks, REVIEWS are LOVE, ok?