"What are you going to name him, Spence?" Kyla asked.
"Gunther," Spencer said after a moment of contemplation.
"Gunther? Do you want your one pound dog to get beat up at the dog park?"
"I've always wanted a little dog with a big name. He'll be able to take care of himself, won't ya baby?" Spencer said, giving the puppy a kiss on the head.
"Oh God. He's going to end up being ass-raped by Bubba the bulldog," Kyla stated.
"Oh, shut up, Kyla," Spencer replied, slapping the brunette on the arm.
"So, task one of today is complete. So we'll take Gunther home and then we're off to Clinton Street!" Kyla said while accelerating her Lexus.
-----
"I hate my mom!" Ashley heard, soon followed by the sound of her front door slamming shut.
"I'm in my room, Spence," she called out.
"God, she's a fucking bitch, Ash," the blonde said while walking through Ashley's bedroom door.
"Why, babe?"
Spencer sighed and laid down next to the brunette on her bed. "We had another fight."
"About what, gorgeous?" Ashley asked as Spencer buried her face in her neck and draped an arm across her stomach.
Spencer inhaled deeply and answered, "you."
"Ah, yes. Ashley the Terrible," the brunette stated.
"Can I stay the night?" Spencer asked.
"You know you don't even have to ask, baby," Ashley reminded her, tucking a stray lock of her behind her girlfriend's ear.
"I love you, Ashley."
"I love you too, beautiful. More than you know," the brunette replied.
-----
As Kyla and Spencer entered the building, they gave each other hopeful looks. Spencer took the key from her purse and walked to the front counter. "Excuse me, ma'am, does this key open a storage unit here?"
The kind-looking woman whose name tag read 'Doris' gently took the key from Spencer's hand and examined it. "Yes, this key belongs to one of our long-term storage units."
"Well, um, my girlfriend went missing three years ago and, uh, this was one of the last things known to be in her possession," Spencer carefully explained.
"Your girlfriend's name, miss?" The woman asked.
"Ashley Davies," Spencer replied.
"I'll check the system," Doris stated.
Kyla stepped up to the counter and asked, "is there any way you could check the last time the unit was opened?"
"Of course, all of the units are electronically monitored. Okay, let's see...Ashley Davies, unit 93 on the second floor. Five years pre-paid...the unit was last accessed on July 23rd, 2007," she said, looking at the computer screen.
"Can I--um, can I open it?" Spencer asked timidly.
"Well, your name isn't on the contract so usually I couldn't let you, but considering the circumstances, I believe you should," the woman said with a sympathetic smile.
Spencer thanked her and she and Kyla headed for the elevator. As soon as they stepped inside, Kyla pushed the second floor button.
"You all right, Spence? Are you sure you want to do this?"
Spencer looked around nervously and responded, "yeah, Ky. I think."
Kyla reached over and took the blonde's hand. "We'll do this together, okay? You're not alone anymore, Spencer."
-----
"What can I do to make you feel better, baby?" Spencer said into the phone.
"Teleport home?" Ashley offered.
"I'll try, babe. Only two more days!" Spencer said while flipping through her keys, trying to find the right one.
"Stupid fuckin' conferences...what does San Francisco have that L.A. doesn't?" Ashley said. "As much as I love your voice, I'd rather have you next to me."
"Two days isn't that long, Ash," the blonde said, silently congratulating herself finding the right key.
"It is when I haven't seen you in a week! Tell me you're as wound up as I am," Ashley said into the receiver. "I've been in my studio for like two days trying to get my mind off of it."
"That's why I left early," Spencer said from behind the brunette.
"Spencer? Oh my God, you sneaky little bastard," Ashley said, standing up from the seat in front of the mixing board and rushing over to her girlfriend. Spencer immediately pulled Ashley in for a passionate kiss. Ashley wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and slid her hands up Spencer's back underneath her shirt.
"Shit, Ash...bedroom?"
"No," Ashley growled into Spencer's neck. "I want to fuck you in my studio."
-----
Spencer stopped in front of the red door and held her breath. She traced her fingers over the jagged edges of the key and then bent down to slide into the lock. She pushed the overhead door up and Kyla flipped the light on. Two lone office boxes sat about six feet in front of them.
"Okay, you grab the top one and I'll get the second. We'll open them at the same time, okay, Spence?" Kyla said.
Spencer nodded and walked over to the boxes. She picked up the top one and placed it on the floor. Kyla walked up beside her and placed her hands on the lid of the second box.
"One, two," Spencer paused, "three."
They both slowly lifted the lids off and when Spencer saw what was inside, she instantly felt tears stinging her eyes. Inside her box were Ashley's Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers records. She looked to Kyla and the brunette lifted her box to show its contents to Spencer. Inside the box Kyla opened were their father's records.
Spencer swallowed hard and a tear slid down her cheek. "Kyla, if Ashley were alive, she would have come back for these."
-----
"Oh, fuck yes!" Ashley yelled, turning the radio up. "Tom Petty is God!"
Spencer watched as her girlfriend danced around in the driver's seat.
"'Cause I'm free, I'm free fallin'," Ashley sang to her.
The blonde smiled when her girlfriend reached over and took her hand, entwining their fingers.
"I love you, Spencer!" Ashley shouted over the music.