Title: Damaged

Summary: Everyone is damaged, she explained, but not everyone is broken. Ashley never thought that going back to Baltimore with Kyla would bring her face-to-face with the one person who made her feel like she wasn't broken.

Disclaimer: I don't own SoN. What I do own is a computer and the amazing ability to not do what I am supposed to with my time.

AN: ummmmmmm…. hi? So legitimately there is no excuse. My world was turned on its head and I'm just know finding my footing again. If there is anyone out there still interested in reading it's here. Sorry I took so long to find my way back.

Spencer finished packing in a rush and set the duffle down next to her equipment by the door as Kyla and the two Californians stood from their varying positions. For a second the girl looked unsure as she flicked her bright blue eyes around the room but shrugged and jutted her thumb over her shoulder towards the hall, "I'm going to say good night to some of the others and I'll be right back."

As soon as she was cleared from the door way Kyla dropped the smile from her lips and crossed her arms at the only other blonde in the room, "What the hell is going on?"

Ashley blinked as the tone of her half-sister's voice and was slightly impressed by the fact that the younger girl had also caught onto the tension between the two, not that she'd admit it aloud that is.

Valerie opted for the clueless response by dropping her arms and shooting a bewildered look at Marissa, "Huh?"

The dark-haired girl shook her head with a frown and Valerie immediately hunched her shoulders in a defensive posture that all but screamed 'busted'. "Don't worry about it, Ky," she said while lifting one shoulder and jamming her hands in her pockets, "Spence has got a lot on her plate right now, and it's just causing some stupid drama with the group, you know? We'll work it out like we always do."

From the bed Marissa rolled her eyes where Val couldn't see and Kyla's crossed arms went from aggressive to protective with a shift of her feet, "What do you mean a lot on her plate? What's going on? Val? 'Rissa?" she pressed, her brown eyed gaze touching both girls.

The blonde glanced at the other girl, but Marissa refused to meet her eyes and before she could try and explain Spencer breezed back through the door immediately picking up on the tension of the room. "Whoa, who put the freeze on in here?" she asked in a forced light-hearted tone glancing around but none of the three East Coast girls would look back. Aiden just looked confused so Spencer looked to Ashley and for a second their was a flash of … something there but it was gone just as the brunette shrugged in her own confusion.

Aiden, who had been surrounded by female friends for the better part of his life and was thus fairly well versed in shifting an awkward silence, clapped his hands and slipped into an easy going grin, "Well, I think we should probably be getting back to Kyla's house. It's getting late and we wouldn't want her mom to worry."

"Good thinking, man," Spencer agreed reaching to pick up her stuff by the door, "It'd be a bad idea to get on Mama Woods bad side, especially considering.." she gave a non-too subtle look between him and Kyla which caused Kyla's jaw to drop as she swiped at the blonde and Aiden grin to turn sheepish, everyone else in the room to broke into half-hearted shows of amusement.

"Uh yeah, so, leaving now," Aiden stumbled through as he ducked out the door followed by Kyla and Ashley but Spencer was stopped in the doorway by Marissa calling her name as she climbed off the bed. Ashley paused along with the blonde but the other two were already half way down the stairs so she was the only one who saw the shorter dark-haired girl offer Spencer an envelope before reaching up to wrap her arms securely around the blondes neck in a tight hug.

"Good luck tomorrow, sis, and be careful," she leaned back far enough for Spencer to offer a slight smile in return, "Forget everything for a bit, the world will work itself out, just enjoy the next couple of days, okay?"

There was a moment where it looked like Spencer was going to say one thing but at the last second her eyes changed and she grinned through a, "Only because you asked so nicely, little one." Marissa wrinkled her nose at the endearment and slipped back to tap the blonde on one cheek only to place a sisterly kiss on the other.

Over their shoulders only Ashley seemed aware of Valerie's clenched jaw and level stare.

!

After a short drive back to Kyla's home, during which the younger daughter of Raife Davies and Aiden would neither speak nor look at one another without turning a light shade of pink, the teenagers gathered on the front porch just as Kyla's mother stepped out onto it.

"Finally," the older woman grinned through an exasperated sigh and drew her sweater tighter against the chill of the nighttime spring air. She glanced between her daughter and the blonde for a second, wide smile spilling beautifully over her face and opened her arms in expectation.

Immediately the two looked at one another and Spencer shoved Kyla's shoulder with her free hand, "Go on then, girlie, give your mom a hug."

"Oh no," the brunette dipped under her hand to put both of her own on the blonde's back and push, "That's totally a good luck hug for you."

"Come on, Ky, you've been gone for two months! She missed you!" Spencer protested as she dropped her bag and shifted to bring Kyla ahead of her.

Despite the way they were bickering about who had to hug the woman, Ashley was near shocked to see her smile grow brighter and watery at the same time as she stepped forward and solved the problem for them by wrapping one arm around each girl and sinking into them, "Oh, my girls."

They both rolled their eyes but it was the matching grins on their faces that was more telling as they hugged her back for a few seconds before Kyla patted her mom on the back, "Okay mom, you love us, we love you. Now can you please let us go? You're totally making a scene in front of the cool kids."

Aiden and Spencer chuckled as Eileen let go to wipe at her misty eyes with the palm of her hand before they all moved to go inside. Kyla peaked back over her mother's shoulder in time to see Ashley standing still on the porch, brow furrowed, lips quirked down and a lost expression in her eyes.

!

"Truth or dare?"

For the moment the four teenagers were gathered in Kyla's room. Spencer and Kyla opted to lay on their stomachs, side by side on the bed while Ashley claimed the swivel chair at the computer desk which left Aiden with a wide expanse of floor. It was barely past nine in the evening but jetlag and an early next day had them deciding to put off going out for tomorrow night, which left them floundering for something entertaining to do.

From her spot next to Kyla, Spencer grabbed the pillow she was lying on and used it to smack her best friend, "No. Bad Kyla."

The brunette rolled to avoid the offending object from a second hit, nearly falling from the bed, but caught herself at the last second, "What?"

"That's a bad game," the blonde groaned and sat up to catch Ashley's stare and smirk at her, causing the California brunette to stick out her tongue. But to the conversation, she poked Kyla in the side which received a squeak and a smack in return, "bad things happen with it, you know that, baby girl."

Kyla rolled back into her previous position on her stomach and glanced at the blonde through her eye lashes, "like what happened to Val?"

Spencer frowned immediately and opened her mouth to reply, but seemed to change her mind when she noticed all eyes on her. She shook her head and shrugged, "that was her own damn fault."

Sensing a deeper meaning, but willing to give Spencer time to come to her on her own, Kyla changed the topic, "How about another game? How long has it been since you guys have played monopoly?"

"Ashley can't play monopoly," Aiden supplied under the glare of the girl in question, "twenty minutes in she'll pitch a fit, flip the board and not talk to anyone for days."

The East Coast girls turned and gave her similar raised eyebrow looks which caused her to flush hotly and mutter, "It's a stupid game and Aiden cheats."

The boy just rolled his eyes and offered another option, "How about just hanging out and watching movies."

Kyla leant up on her elbows, "That could work, but Spencer isn't allowed to pick movies."

"Just because you don't like horror movies," the blonde scoffed then added, "but that sounds like a good idea. What do you say Ashley? Want to be boring indoors people on your first night in Baltimore?"

Ashley thought for a second about what she would be doing if she were back in LA. Friday nights were generally reserved for alcohol, parties, clubs and random hook-ups and while she knew it would probably be a lot worse had she never gotten pregnant and miscarried, she never spent the night just hanging out and being comfortable. She glanced at the people in the room, Aiden had a look that bordered on a wince like he was just waiting for her to argue, Kyla had a hopeful look and Spencer was just watching her with her head tilted slightly to the left again.

She thought about it. About hanging out as she was, comfortable in her own skin, not trying to force some kind of connection or impress people with not enough clothing and a fake smile because she was hanging out with people who already liked her.

She thought about it then she smiled, "That actually sounds perfect."