Disclaimer: Own nothing

Authors note: Drama. And other characters. Like was promised.

Chapter 5

"Mom?"

"Spencer! What are you doing…oh…you," Paula's anger immediately shifted when she noticed Ashley waving over Spencer's shoulder.

"Me. You?" Ashley asked, receiving a glare from the woman. "Sorry, just trying to get a handle on things."

Paula turned on the lights in the hall. "Spencer, why is this girl in our home this time of night. And for that matter, why are you sneaking out? This is the reckless behavior I was speaking of earlier. This is why I don't want you seeing her. Explain yourself."

Ashley looked over at Spencer when the girl didn't respond. Come on Spencer, we can handle this. Just keep it light, just keep laughing. Sometimes it's all you can do. The blonde looked shocked by the events, so Ashley jumped in instead.

"I don't think sneaking out really constitutes what we were doing…I mean we snuck in, so does one sneak out of where one snuck in?"

"I am spending the night at Ashley's mom!" Spencer suddenly blurted out. Ashley mentally flinched. Good job, Spence.

"I set up a nice place on the couch for her Mrs. C, I swear," Ashley added out loud, winking.

Before Paula could explode at her words, and by the look on her face, Ashley judged something good had been about to come, there were footsteps on the stairs. A sleepy, disheveled looking Glen appeared. Well this just got better.

"What's going on? Mom? Spencer? Why are…oh, you."

"Me. You?"

"Ashley!" Spencer moaned, poking her.

"Sorry again. I thought maybe this was some weird Carlin greeting game."

"Look, I know you chose to ignore me about staying away from my sister, but that doesn't mean you have to flaunt yourself around my home," Glen growled.

Ashley turned to look at Paula. "Permission to punch your son."

Paula looked too shocked to respond. Glen appeared too tired to get it. And poor Spencer looked like she couldn't decide between laughing or crying.

More footsteps on the stairs caused everyone to look up. Clay made his way down looking confused at the gathering by the front door. "What's going on? Why's everyone at the front door? Oh, it's you."

"For the love of…Spencer, what's my name?"

"Ashley."

"Okay, just making sure it hadn't been changed to 'you' behind my back. Continue Clay." Clay, the kind of exposition Ashley added in her head.

Luckily, Arthur had been right on the heels of Clay. "Let's take this little party into the living room shall we? Hello Ashley."

"Hey Mr. C! See Spencer? I told you I loved that man." Ashley grinned, earning yet another glare from Paula.

As everyone shuffled into the next room, Ashley mentally cheered as Spencer sat down right next to her on the couch. She couldn't help but grin at the frown on Glen and Paula's respective faces. Yeah, I'll bet that smarts a bit, eh? she thought to herself.

"Now, let's start at the beginning. Paula, you decided you wanted some time to figure things out. You chose to stay elsewhere, so please excuse my rudeness when I ask, what are you doing here?" Arthur began.

"I forgot some things here. I couldn't sleep, and I decided now would be the best time to pick my things up. I didn't expect anyone to be awake. I had been hoping to avoid confrontation," Paula responded, shooting a look at Ashley. Ashley waved at the older woman. Yes, yes, I see you, hello

"Spencer?"

"Me too Dad. Ashley and I just came to turn off my computer and pick up something I forgot. We would have been in and out if mom hadn't jumped on Ashley at the door."

Ashley nodded solemnly. Look at my halo Mr. C, you know you love me.

"Spencer! I may not live here at the moment, but that's still no way to talk to your mother. Especially not when you're clearly running around with this girl despite the fact that I told you to keep away."

May God smite you with a million sexually tranmitted diseases woman. I'm not worried about them getting to Mr. C, I'm pretty sure he hasn't been getting any for awhile. Ashley thought, shooting daggers at Paula.

Arthur jumped in, "Paula, I gave Spencer permission to spend the night at Ashley's, and since you weren't here, of your own wishes, it was my prerogative."

"Excuse me? Why am I the one being attacked here when our teenaged daughter is sneaking around at three in the morning. Let's keep sight of what's important Arthur," Paula replied incredulously.

"I'm not sneaking around Mom. Some of us are actually welcome in this house!"

"Ooooh snap!" Ashley said. This time five people glared at her. "That was out loud huh? Sorry. I have issues with tense situations. I either lash out or crack jokes. My therapist thinks it's because…"

"Nobody cares Ashley," Glen interrupted.

"Don't talk to her that way!" Spencer yelled back.

Ooooh snap, Ashley thought, proud of herself for keeping that one in her head. Spencer is fucking pissed.

"Glen, Clay please go back to bed," Arthur finally interjected between the fighting siblings. His head in his hands in defeat.

As the boys left, Glen mumbling curses the whole way, Ashley leaned over to whisper in Spencer's ear, "I'll create a distraction and you make a break for it."

Spencer sniffled and turned to look at Ashley who noticed that the blonde must have been crying silently for a few minutes now. There's no way this is going to end well now.

"Seriously, I'll start stripping and when your mom makes a break for the holy water we'll get out of here," she added, fishing for a smile.

Spencer gave a half hearted grin and leaned her forehead against Ashley's. "It will be alright baby, I promise," Ashley whispered. Unfortunately that small gesture between the two girls seemed to break Paula's silence.

She jumped up and grabbed Spencer's arm, yanking her to her feet and away from Ashley. "This is enough young lady! That is no way to behave. I've had enough of this foolishness, this experimentation between the two of you. This is a sin," she focused on Ashley, hand still tight on Spencer's arm, "And you, have done enough damage to my family. You have torn us all apart. Both of you have torn this family apart. Ashley. Get. Out."

Yeah. Now she would say my name.

Ashley stood up slowly, never breaking eye contact with the older woman. "Kindly let go of Spencer. And never speak to her that way again. You have a problem with me get in line. But you mess with her, and the two of us really will have a problem, Mrs. C. I'll kindly go. But I'm not leaving without her."

"Good idea Ashley. I think you girls should leave. Paula and I need to have a long overdue talk." Arthur's voice had an edge that Ashley had never heard before.

Spencer yanked her arm out of her mother's grasp, almost oblivious to everything that had just been said. Her eyes flashed with anger. "Our foreheads? We put our heads together and you flip out? Well then deal with this," she snarled, grabbing Ashley and pulling her into a hard kiss right in front of her parents.

Ashley pulled away and looked from Arthur to Paula. "Heeee, I'm sorry, but that was sooo hot." Her legs felt a little weak from getting another taste of Spencer. She licked her lips to get just a little last taste of Spencer's lips before being smacked, hard by Paula. Woman, you are fucking nuts! Ashley would have launched an all out fight right there if she hadn't felt her Spencer sense going off.

It was only because she knew Spencer so well that she was able to grab the younger girl before she jumped onto her mom. "You bitch!" Man, when Spencer turns on, she really turns on.Ashley couldn't help but think.

"Spencer, Spence baby, you gotta chill. This whole thing has gotten out of hand. It's late, no one in in their right mind. We need to leave before anything else we're going to regret happens. And you have to admit, I've kinda had that coming all night," Ashley said softly, trying to calm the girl in her arms.

Spencer relaxed and grabbed Ashley's hand. "Fine, we're leaving. We're going back to Ashley's house to have hot sex all night! Take that and stuff it!"

"Don't worry Mrs. C, we'll do it on the couch, I promise," Ashley couldn't help but add as a parting shot.

"Have fun girls," Arthur said as they passed by.

Spencer hugged her father, "I'll be back tomorrow."

Ashley gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I mean it Mr. C, I adore you. In fact, after Spencer, you're my favorite person. Don't forget to take out the trash when you're finished cleaning up in here."

Spencer pulled Ashley out of the house and into the car before breaking down completely. Ashley simply held her as she cried. No less than half an hour later Paula left the house slamming the door to her car and driving away. Ashley couldn't be sure but she thought she saw Paula give her the finger on her way out.

The sun was beginning to rise by the time Ashley and Spencer got back to her house and into bed. Ashley looked at the sleeping girl next to her, her face covered with dried tears. She pushed the hair out of her face and softly kissed her forehead. Spencer smiled but didn't wake up at the touch.

"I'll be damned if being in love isn't harder than I thought it would be." Ashley muttered.

In her sleep Spencer's hand found Ashley's. Ash looked down at the hand covering her own and then again at the owner's face. Despite the night's events she couldn't help but feel happy. "I know I am a sap, but ya know what Spence? Being with you makes it all worthwhile."