Hello again, Well here is Chapter 4. Thanks for reading. As always please review, any constructive criticism is appreciated. =)

Chapter 4

It had been a little over a week since Spencer ran into Ashley. The brown-eyed girl had called every night at about eight o'clock; Spencer never answered the phone just letting the call go to voicemail where she would always leave a message, which she had deleted without listening to. However, last night she listened to the voicemail instead of listening to the voice in her head telling her not to.

The pleading voice almost sounded desperate "Please Spence talk to me. I've missed you and have thought about you daily since you disappeared ten years ago. I also have something I need to talk to you about. Please call me back."

"Why did I listen to that damn message?" she says out loud to herself after listening to it, she couldn't get the sound of the brown-eyed girls voice out of her head nor could she ignore the way hearing her nickname said again had an effect on her. Ashley was the one who had ever called her Spence while they were kids after Ashley betrayed her, she corrected anyone who tried to shorten her name. She tossed and turned all night long, causing her to oversleep this morning, and now she was running late to work. Her boss won't say anything to her, she stays late so often that her boss will be glad she is coming in late.

She works for the Department of Child Services. If she can save one child from going through what she did then maybe her past would have meaning. She had an advantage over her co-workers, she knew what to say and not say to kids who are abused. The kids migrated towards her, maybe they recognized the ghost in her eyes, knew that she was one of them. She pulled into the parking lot, looking for a place to park. After parking she grabbed her bag and got out of the car. Spencer lost in thought, going over her schedule, and getting her computer ready for the day. When Madison suddenly popped up from the other side of the cubicle wall "So who is Ashley?" she pipes out loudly, startling the blonde from her thoughts.

"Geez Maddy, you're like a pop-up book from hell."

"Oh someone has jokes, who is Ashley?"

"Welcome back from vacation Maddy." She ignores her question having been able to avoid them all week due to her friend being on vacation.

"I know you have ignored my calls and texts, you are not going to avoid my question now."

"I've been ignoring your calls and texts because I don't want to answer the twenty questions that you are going to ask. Speaking of calls and text, please do not give my phone number out to people without asking me first."

Madison has a guilty expression "Spencer I'm sorry, she just looked so desperate. So who is she?"

She doesn't respond, instead she attempts to look busy by typing away at her computer. Maddy cannot see the screen, otherwise she would see Go Away Maddy typed over and over. Just when Maddy is about to say something her phone rings "Saved by the bell" Spencer cheers in her head.

Maddy gives her a look that says she's not free yet than answers her phone. Spencer is thankful that at least for now she is free. She starts typing her report from a case that closed. The child reunified with her mother, she hopes that the mother can stay strong and not let the guy back into the home. Not paying attention to the time she's surprised when she hears her friend announce "Lunchtime" as she bounces over to my cubicle "Let's go."

"Go where."

"Spencer Carlin you are going to lunch with me and you are going to tell me who Ashley is!"

"Why am I friends with you"

"Because I don't give you a choice and you love me." She says as she links arms with her and leads them towards the elevator.

Spencer gives Madison credit she waited until their food arrived before drilling her with questions "So?"

"So what?"

"Come on Spencer, who is Ashley?"

She takes a huge bite of her sandwich stalling, she hadn't decided how much or what to say to her questions. She knows that Madison will not be happy until she gets a good answer. Spencer puts her sandwich down "Ashley was my best friend; we met when we were seven. For ten years we were inseparable. The end of junior year some rumors started going around school about me, I found out that she was the one that had started them. I transferred schools and never spoke to her again." That was true for the most part, she left out the minor detail that she didn't transfer schools; she ran away from home. Spencer also down played her relationship with the brown-eye girl. It was true that they were best friends, but they were so much more than that. They weren't lovers in the physical sense, but were in every way lovers emotionally. Giving her friend those details would just bring another round of questions that she was not ready to answer.

Madison could see the sadness in her friend's eyes so she chose not to push for details. Shocked that she had said as much as she did, knowing that the blonde was not one for details about her personal life. Just then Madison's work phone began ringing, she looked at the caller ID "Sorry Spencer this is a foster parent that is having problems with one of the kids, I have to take this call."

"Hey I know how that goes, I'll be here take your time."

Madison gets up and walks outside to take the call; she is left there with her thoughts going to brown-eyed girl.

13 years ago; age 14

Spencer is watching Ashley storm around her room ranting about her mother taking her Nintendo away due to her getting a C in math. She is having a hard time focusing on the girl's words for some reason. Spencer found herself being fascinated by her lips; the room got quiet, which pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see the bright brown eyes that she loved looking at her "Spence are you listening to me?"

"Uh yea, of course you're right it's not fair and a C is still passing." Hoping she said the right thing having not heard what Ashley was saying in the last few minutes.

The other girl just smiled at her "that conversation was ten minutes ago. I was asking if you were going to go to the freshman dance at school."

"Oh uh no." She started tracing the pattern of the quilt on Ashley's bed not looking at her. Ashley knew why the blonde wasn't going to go to the dance; her Mother would never buy her a dress. "I have a dress you can wear." She wanted her to go.

"No thanks, I don't want to go."

Ashley went to her and grabbed her hand to hold it, causing the blonde to break out in goose bumps. Holding hands with her was nothing new to Spencer; they have held hands whenever they were alone since the first summer they met. It was a simple way that Ashley would comfort her after one of Mother's punishments, but here lately she noticed that the brown-eyed girl would take her hand anytime they were close and alone even if Spencer wasn't upset. While watching TV, while riding in the backseat of her mom's car, and for the past couple of months every morning when she would wake up they would be holding hands. She also started to become aware of the feelings in her stomach when they touched, and now this fascination with her lips.

"Spencer?" her name said softly

She looked from Ashley's lips to her eyes, blushing when she realized that she was caught staring at her lips. The look in the other girl's eyes was anything but teasing; they just sat there holding hands, staring into each other eyes. Spencer's eyes opened wide when she watches as the brown-eye girl look at her lips and then start to lean in "she going to kiss me" she thought to herself.

"Ash" was all she said softly closing her eyes. When Ashley's lips touched her it was like nothing she had felt before, butterflies were released in her stomach and she swore they were going to find a way out. The kiss was shy and soft, one simple kiss.

When the kiss ended both girls opened their eyes, waiting to see what the other was going to do. They sat there for what seemed like forever when Ashley was able to find her voice first "was that okay, are we okay?"

Spencer thought for a moment before replying "yes, but." She hesitated not sure how to say what she was thinking.

"But what?"

"But, I want to do it again."

Spencer saw the look of relief that crossed the other girls face as she said "so do I" while leaning in to kiss her again.

This time the kiss started out shy, but when Spencer felt Ashley's hand on her face caressing her face all fear left. She deepens the kiss pulling the brown-eyed girl closer to her. That night the kisses they shared remained shy, as the nights went by the shyness gave way to passion.

"Earth to Spencer."

"Huh, what?"

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere."

Uh huh what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing, why?" she looked anywhere but at her friend worried that Madison would read her thoughts.

"I have never seen you smile that way before, anyway I have to run the foster parent had to call the police due to the child being violent. We will talk later." Madison said while they paid their tab and headed for the door. Spencer returned to work, making an effort to not think of the brown-eyed girl. Which she found with great frustration easier said than done.

She was wrapping up her work for the day; as usual she was the last one at the office besides her boss Aiden. She shut down her computer when he called out to her "Spencer can you step into my office for a minute?" She sighed as she stood to walk to his office thinking she was about to receive another lecture about staying at work so late.

"Hey boss, what's up?" She says as she makes herself comfortable on the couch in his office. He is sifting through the piles of reports on his desk without looking up "we have a new case worker starting tomorrow."

"Okay so what does this have to do with me?"

He holds up a file hiding behind it "I want her to shadow you for a few weeks." He says in a rush.

She glares at him "You know I prefer to work alone. Not to mention I'm overwhelmed with my cases, I don't have time showing a rookie how things are done."

He glances at her from over the file folder "she's not a rookie, she' a transfer from a different county. I just want you to show her our procedures, she will know the rest."

"That's even worse; trying to teach someone something when they already have their own ways. Haven't you heard the phrase can't teach an old dog, new tricks? Have her follow Madison, she is good."

"Yes she is, but you are our best. I would like for her to learn from the best." He puts the file down and looks her in the eyes.

"I don't have a choice do I?"

"No, I'm sorry you don't and she is coming soon to finish filling out paperwork so you will get to introduce yourself."

As if on cue the elevator dings, Spencer and Aiden get up to meet the person arriving. She looks up just as Ashley is stepping into the office. Aiden oblivious to the tension between the women begins the introductions "Spencer Carlin this is Ashley Davies."

"Oh hell no." Spencer interrupts as she shoves past the brown eye girl. Ashley turns to follow her leaving Aiden standing alone and confused in his office. Spencer grabs her bag and heads towards the elevator, slamming the elevator button.

"Spencer, hang on a second."

She ignores her slamming the button again.

"Spence" she begins to say "Don't call me that." The blonde interrupts through clenched teeth as the elevator opens. She storms inside with Ashley following her. She holds the door open "Get out"

"No, not until you talk to me."

Spencer is still holding the elevator door "Did you know that I worked here?"

"No, not at first."

"When did you find out?"

"The day of the softball game, Aiden called to arrange a day for me to finish up paperwork and let me know that I would be shadowing his best case worker Spencer Carlin."

"You didn't think to say something?"

"I tried to tell you, why do you think I left so many messages about needing to talk to you about something, I was trying to give you a heads up."

Spencer walked off the elevator and back into Aiden's office, he was still standing in the same spot that he was when she stormed out "Have her shadow someone else."

He snapped out of his confusion "So I take it you two know each other"

"Yes, so have her shadow Madison."

He shakes his head, "She will be following you."

She glares at Ashley "Fine, don't be late and don't plan on talking about anything that is not work related." She growls as she storms out of the office.