I love how far Ashley has come is such a short amount of time. It makes me squee inside when they sit under that old tree, just feels so right. Thanks for posting this again, can't wait for you to finish and so glad you started the new story.

I just read this entire fic! Great story I love it!

POKE.

=-o

This needs to be updated...like NOW. Ugh I am dying here, I just wanna know how it ends. Loved the entire story..PMS

^^I agree, we need an update ASAP, I'm suffering from withdrawal. And the anticipation is killing me. so on with it. please.

hellz yes now that i finally was able to read this whole entire story up until this point..i need an update. i love this fic. it has my heart. lol

*poke*

You know, this isn't the first time this has happened to me
This non-updating thing
I like Recitatif and uh,
A girl like me gets sad when I wait for long
'Cuz everytime the best of s stops updating, my world is crushed and I'm all alone,
Til her new story crawls right back up and bites me...
And I'm back


You know how hard that was? I took the walk of shame.

Update?

the girl cant help it....you've got me tripping...stumbling..cuz im falling in love (in-in love!) lol...wow i killed those lyrics, my bads.

The Ferg! My only weakness.

Last chapter's up before the weekend ends, defo.

I just finished reading everything and i so love love love this it's like every chap felt so frech and awesome i just cpouldnt stop reading it heh
PMS

The Ferg ftw!

So excited.

"I'm fucking Matt Damon" was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.


I'm gonna go watch it again.

let the fanfiction gods be praised! i've found the el dorado of the spashley world! post more!

i just read this story, i freaking love it...well done!

Now finish my faaaaaaaaavorite thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. Reci-taaaaaaaa-tiiiiiiiif.

This story wins at life and so do you. Update?

Come on! You know you wanna update and get this finished!

A thoroughly well deserved award. Congratulations!

I actually just went back and read this whole thing over. I originally read it on the other fan site ages ago but to get me in the swing for the new updates, i re-read it and really, it was even better than i remembered..which i didn't think was possible. It's just awesome. So many parts made me just squee and i just adore the Ashley/Carlin family dynamic.


But of course now we're sooo close to the end and i really want to see how it finishes up..so please..pretty please update soon?

awesome fic!! i cant wait for more

I miss this story . when are we getting an update, im suffering from withdrawal

BUMP

i just read this whole story yesterday and i loooove it! please update

just givin the story a good ol' BUMP.....

and i'm giving this another bump, just because it deserves it

Extreme bumpage...Just to get an update. Please?

I really like your your stories. You can really get all kinds of emotion across.
But this whole vanishing right before the final update is kinda evil

wow..great story..It took me a few hours to read all the chapters!It's really well written!

pms please!

resuscitate recitatif!

or else.

this story needs a major bump...

PLEASE UPDATE!

I read all of this litte gem today.... it's absolutley fantastic

Please post more soon

Just thinking about your story today. Please update soon.

Yeah, hi best. Come back and give this guy some attention, please?

Bump.

Non-updating douche!

Fuck you, chipmunk face!

Hate.

So. fucking. cruel.

i dont think bumping your own fic is allowed.

just updating.

try it out, feels nice.

You're gonna do sex to me when I'm dead?

wow, i never knew how excited i got just from the *thought* of you updating...until now.

this was very cruel indeed. will you update so i feel less violated?

thats so not cool but kinda funny!! u rock

Go drink a bottle of yourself, Evian.

Ouch dude wth... but i gotta agree it is kinda funny.

Damn, I thought this was updated lol.

"Freeway" is the.best.movie.ever. I quote it way more than I should.

That was mean...I thought this was updated. I felt like a child opening my Christmas present only to find nothing there. That indeed was cruel.
But it was pretty damn funny

I thought it was an updateeeeeee!!!!You are so cruel:( ..please pmsssssss!!!

Ouch! That was even more heartbreaking than the last chapter of WSMO

This fic is totally awsome!! I love it. Please continue okay? I can't wait for the next update!

double post 4 days apart.

OMG, so cute. I can't even pronounce the name of this fic, but doubt the cat can.

Need update.......T_T

This fic=so much love<3

we have a bump but no update. hm, yea there's something wrong with this.

Double pity update?

UPDATE, OMG.

yes please..update

I tell you I'm gonna read it and yet there is no update. That hurts..

alright, so i know the last 20 ppl already asked this, but yo, where's the update?

i'm caught up on this now and i'm kinda anticipating the next chapter.
soon?

Fail.

STOP BUMPING IT GETS ME EXCITED FOR NO REASON.

*giggles*

please pms!!!!!!

Dude.

On the long drive, I heard The Ferg's clumsy, then I thought of that empty 'defo' and was like, 'what a bitch' lols.

Um...gone but not forgotten. A fawdie for my dead fic homie.

Split the last chapter up 'cause it's so annoyingly long. It took a while, but here it is.

Part One

"I'm crazy."

Dr. Shephard leans forward in his chair, finally sensing something interesting and groundbreaking about to be said. "Why do you say that, Ashley?"

"I'm living with my Mother of my own accord." I groan dramatically, and he sits back in his chair, seeming disappointed. "God, can you imagine?"

He doesn't say anything, my cue to go on.

"I never thought I'd be back, but the past two weeks or so haven't been bad. Mom's not so crazy if you know when to stay out of her way." I tell him, while he looks supremely disinterested. "Spencer's spent the night a handful of times, though. That makes it better." I say, brightening. "She woke up like, an hour early one morning before school and made me waffles - from scratch." I grin at the memory. "I didn't even know we had a waffle iron. I was shocked."

"She sounds nice." He says dismissively. Understatement of the century. "You say you have to stay out of your Mother's way?"

"Uh, yeah, sometimes. I just mean that we both get in moods and stuff, but I'm older, I know how to handle it better." I say easily, and it's true. Our relationship has gotten increasingly less disastrous, it seems that we've both mellowed with age.

"And how does this make you feel?"

"Um...good?"

Mr. Shephard looks quizzically at me, like he has several times before, like I'm a puzzle that he lost the box to, and now has no idea how to put together. "Okay." He toys with his pen in his hand, and I reach for the small bowl he's filled with M&M's on the table. Big mistake; it's already nearly empty.

Silence fills the room, except for my quiet chewing. "Is it true that you can taste the separate colors on these things?" I ask thoughtfully.

"I'm not quite sure, Ashley." His beady eyes squint behind his glasses.

"Alright, let's conduct an experiment." I say, closing my eyes and shaking up the candies in my hand. I hold one up blindly to him, then pop it in my mouth. "Yellow." I say, after pondering the taste for a moment. "No - blue. It's blue." I open my eyes again, still chewing. "It was blue, right?"

He looks increasingly bored with me. "Red."

I frown and shrug simultaneously. "I don't think it works with peanut M&M's." I explain. He nods like this was obvious. Awkward encounters like this are par for the course in these meetings. I've only been to about a half a dozen with Dr. Shephard, but my thoughts are he should retire from the profession immediately. He hasn't been able to offer me a single morsel of insight regarding myself. I give myself a second to fondly remember my sessions with Mr. C, and how much smarter he is than the guy currently sitting in front of me.

"Would you like to get back to discussing your new living situation?" He asks in his deep, gravelly voice. Not soothing at all.

I shake my head. "Well, what's there to say, you know?" I try to shoot him a smile so he doesn't get so down about failing to be a good therapist. "I don't really see the point in having my Mother pay you big money so I can sit here and fidget for an hour a couple times a week." I pause. "No offense or anything, Doc."

He raises one unamused eyebrow in my direction. "None taken."

"So what do you say?" I ask brightly, standing up and holding out my hand for him to shake. "Call it quits? No hard feelings?"

He looks at me strangely. "Only your Mother can fire me, legally. I'd have to speak to her."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Hm." I consider this, then give a quick shrug and retract my hand. "In that case, I have to pee." I say, backing away from the table, thinking better of it only at the last second to take on last swipe at the candy bowl. "Be right back." I say, tossing a few into my mouth and retreating.

I knew I'd never be back.

--

The halls are clearing just after the bell for fifth period rings, but just as I thought, Spencer's late to chem, caught up reading some poster on the wall.

"Waddup, Spencer." I sneak up behind her and wrap my arms all the way around her, giving her a loud kiss on the cheek. She turns away from the bulletin board she was reading and faces me, giggling.

"'Waddup'?" She asks, tickling my ribs. "Since when do you say 'waddup'?"

"Uh, well, I was gonna yell, 'Hey, handsome' but thought you'd prefer 'waddup'." I tell her, squirming away from her fingers and grabbing her hands.

"I am a handsome woman." Spencer agrees solemnly, and I nod my head as if something very important was said.

"It's true." I toy with her hands in my own, then clap them together gently. "Hey, let's do pat-a-cake."

Spencer smiles, freeing her hands from mine and using them to pinch and smush my cheeks. "What, are you five?"

"Ahm five ah a half." I deadpan, my speech warped thanks to her work on my cheeks. She laughs at this, and tugs at them further.

"Say something else."

"The wain in Spain fahs mainly on da plain." I recite, and she grins broadly and laughs even harder. I reach up and softly take her hands, saving my cheeks from further torment. "Now who's five?"

She swiftly kisses me, not even bothering with a comeback. Not that I mind. I pull away after a second. "Hey, you know, you're totally late for chem."

"I'm aware of that." She says, but doesn't make a move to leave.

"Hm, Spencer Carlin, don't give me any ideas, or I just might have to whisk you away for an afternoon of debauchery."

Spencer looks around the empty corridors, then slides her fingers through my belt loops, pulling me closer to her. "And I might not have a problem with that."

As intoxicating as she is this close, I just kiss her on the point of her chin. "Well, I definitely wouldn't have a problem with that, but I must act for the greater good."

Spencer gives me her patented pout, but I just kiss it away. "You've got a chem test today, pretty girl."

"I'm gonna fail."

"Nah, you won't." I tell her, inching away from her grasp. "But even if you do, I'll still love you."

"You're awful." She tells me as I walk away backwards, but she's smiling even as she says it.

"Good luck. Use that beautiful brain of yours."

--

"Pass the gravy, please?"

"Paula, you simply must try some more of this cognac. It's been aged almost three decades."

"What do we have lined up for dessert?"

The table was a flurry of activity. It wasn't the first family dinner, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but this one seemed especially important. Clay and Glen had managed to make an appearance despite their busy college schedules, and my Mother seemed in an especially good mood. The Davies dining room was full to the hilt with familiar faces and delicious food.

"Like this, dear." My Mother reaches over to take Paula's wrist, gently instructing her on how to properly swirl brandy. "And now...sip."

"Wow, that is actually...delicious." Paula says, seeming surprised by it. Then she laughs.

"Her cheeks are getting red." Mr. C teases, and it's a little true.

"She's not used to drinking anything but wine, and that's only sometimes." Spencer tells my quietly, looking bemused as her Mother takes another small drink.

"She's gonna get smashed." I whisper back, making Spencer chuckle.

"Oh man, Mom, don't hit the bottle too hard, you've still gotta serve up some of that tiramisu Dad made." Glen says, patting his stomach.

"Dude." Clay lightly smacks Glen on the arm. "Serve it yourself, you're a grown man."

"Aw." Glen sticks his bottom lip out, looking remarkably like Spencer when she pouts, so much so that I smile at her. "But she makes it best."

The whole table shares a well timed and good natured snicker.

"Glen, you ought to let your Mother relax and enjoy her brandy. I'd offer you a glass but I'm not sure your youthful palate could appreciate it." My Mother drawls, causing Paula to snort, causing me and me alone to laugh probably louder than necessary. Everyone turns to look at me.

"Okay, what? She snorted! It was funny!" I look at Paula with a tiny grin. "Sorry. Funny in a good way."

"Ashley, you're forgiven. Christine, I'll show you how to serve up a perfect tiramisu." Paula offers graciously, and stands up very slowly, still balancing a drink in hand.

"Yes, sounds delightful." My Mother says, like she actually thinks it sounds delightful. She stands up and Spencer and I watch as our mothers clutch each other for support and wander into the kitchen without another word to us, muttering about tiramisu.

"It's so funny how well they get along." Spencer tells me, touching my knee gently under the table.

"Yeah. I guess it's just a Davies/Carlin thing."

"I think maybe you're right." Spencer laces her hand with mine under the table and gives it a tight squeeze, and then lets go. "Glen, Clay, you nerds, help me clear the table before dessert."

Glen groans loudly but stands up despite it, grabbing plates with Clay.

"I'll help." Mr. C and I say in unison, and as a reflex, I poke him in the arm. "Ahh! Jinx."

"Jinx?" He asks, confused.

"Aw, Mr. C. You ruined it." I glance at Spencer, who's grabbing glasses off the table and giving me a cute smirk. "I guess I can't hit you or anything, Spencer would probably get mad."

Mr. C gives me one of those smiles where he can't really understand what I'm talking about, but still think whatever I'm saying is hilarious. I'm almost as good as knowing what his smiles mean and I am at recognizing Spencer's, which is saying a lot. "Well, that's very considerate of you, Ashley."

"No problem." I say, then, "Hey, Clay, man, let me grab a couple of those plates." I approach him and his precariously stacked dishes.

"Thanks, Ashley." He says as I relieve some of the weight. "But I completely had it, you know. It was nothing compared to the stacks of books I have to carry around on a daily basis."

"I totally believe you, dude, I heard your courseload was crazy." I say, walking beside him to the kitchen and getting lost in easy conversation with him. In the kitchen, Paula and my Mother are giggling over a mess of cocoa powder on the sink.

"Paula went and spilled all of our chocolate powder." Christine accuses through laughter.

"She's...she's...." Paula can't seem to speak through her complete fit of giggles. Clay reaches over to set the plates down and pats both his mother and my mother on the back, grinning. He starts to say something to them, but I rush out the door and take Spencer by the arm.

"Spence, you've gotta come see this. Our Moms are like, totally belligerent and throwing powder and giggling and stuff." I tell her, and pull her into the kitchen, and Glen and Mr. C follow us.

Between the time I left and re-entered the room, Clay's shirt got covered in cocoa powder, and Paula had started nibbling on a bite of tiramisu. Christine was pouring two more glasses of brandy.

"Is Mom hoggin' all the tiramisu?" Glen demands, then starts to laugh.

"I'm pouring everyone a glass." Christine announces.

"Christine, I'd be glad to help you tidy up the kitchen, it seems we've made a mess." Mr. C offers nicely, glancing around.

"Nonsense!" She says with a wave of her hand. "I've got maids for such things. Now come, take your glass."

"Let's toast!" Paula says excitedly.

"Oh, to me!" Glen cries.

"I think that's a no go, son." Mr. C lets him know, then wraps an arm around his shoulders.

I stand back, watching the spectactle with a smile on my face. Spencer sidles up next to me.

"Crazy, huh?" She bumps into me gently with her shoulder.

"It's good." I say, as someone thrusts a small cup in my hand. "It's like a whole family."

I can't quite hear what they toast to, there's so much noise, but I raise my glass anyways.

Part Two looms...

Wtf? STFU! Empty defo? There's an update! *deletes nuttymadam video*

Ah, I rubbed my eyes to make sure it was really there, and it was lovely! Drunk Paula and Christine own. Though, the way you said part two looms worried me...lol. Let's hope the final resting place is a good one! Cheery in the non-queereye7 way.

Spencer and Ashley are still as cute as ever even though they were frozen in time for like, a year.

Yay! Can't wait for part 2. So don't make me.

Oooh, straight outta the graveyard. Anyways, very last update. Thanks for reading. Adios, Recitatif.

"I got into Ohio State!"

Spencer holds the acceptance letter out in front of her excitedly, and I hop up off the porch where I'd been waiting for her and embrace her. "Congratulations, brainiac." I hold her tight. "But you already knew you would."

"Well, I kinda did." She says, pulling back, eyes shining. "But not really, and it's actually an awesome school, and I didn't want to get my hopes up, and..." She trails off, full of nervous, enthusiastic energy. "My Dad went there, and his Dad, and - "

"All your aunts, and your Grandma." I finish for her, familiar with the story. Clay had decided on a more prestigious school, and Glen had gone to the school with the best basketball scholarship for him. Spencer had told me early on in our senior year her big plans for Ohio State, and I was extremely happy for her.

"Yep." She looks at the letter again, then clutches it to her chest. "Ash, I can't believe it."

"Well, I can." I put my hands on her waist and caress the skin there, pretending the think long and hard about something. "And since you look so adorable when you're excited, I think this situation calls for dinner and celebration."

"Lobster and steak?" She asks, pulling me in for a kiss.

"Of." Kiss. "Course." Kiss.

"Ashley?"

"Yeah?"

She frames my face in her hands, looking and me intently. "This...this isn't going to change anything, right?"

"Come on, Spencer." I say, rolling my eyes and avoiding the subject, as I've been known to do for the past couple of months. I know she loves my unwavering support, but I also know that she's a tiny bit worried that we haven't spoken at all about how we're going to work when she's in a college thousands of miles away. To be honest, I'm kind of worried myself, and am still at a loss at to what kind of plan to formulate.

"Ashley, this is important to me. And we haven't talked at all about - "

"I know." I interrupt, placing my hands over hers and pulling them off of my face and wrapping them around me. I pull her closer to me.

"So what are we going to do?" She searches my eyes, but I try to give her nothing, and her face creases with worry.

"We'll be okay." I say confidently, massaging her lower back. "This isn't a bad thing, Spencer, it's a good thing."

Her anxious expression melts into something much gentler, and serene. "It is, right?"

"Of course it is. You have to get your learnin', so you can support me in me old age."

Her lips curl into a smile and she laughs at me. "Man, you're cute."

--


My name was announced exactly twelve names after Spencer's. I accepted my diploma to applause, and a symphony of noises from a spot in the audience I'm sure contained the entire Carlin family and my Mother. Spencer caused my cheeks to inflame when I heard her catcalls from the front row, and I even caught Aiden whistling. I ran ahead several seats in line to bombard Spencer, who was already waiting, with a hug.

"Congratulations!" Our voices are indistinguishable from each others in the loud stadium.

"Oh, jeez, you look so sweet in your little cap and gown." I tell Spencer, as she moves my tassel from one side of the other.

"Ashley Davies, you have officially graduated." She beams at me. "How does it feel?"

"It feels amazing."

She looks around like she can't quite believe her surroundings. "If this were Ohio, there'd be one quarter of this graduating class. I never would have thought I'd be here, of all places..."

I take both her hands. "I'm just glad we're here together." I speak low, even though the crowd is rumbling around us, and she leans into hear.

"So am I." She tells me, pressing her forehead against mine. "I couldn't have imagined it better."

All my smart remarks about her lame imagination are forgotten when her lips meet mine for a quick, warm kiss. "I love you, Ashley."

"I love you." I whisper, and she smiles like she heard it. We join hands and stand close, watching the stage while our classmates receive their diplomas.

"Hey, so, uh." She tries to broach the subject casually, eyes still on the stage. "Did you ever hear back from UCLA? Or all those other colleges you applied to?"

I just shrug, running my thumb over hers, watching the podium. "I got into some, got rejected from others. It doesn't really matter."

I can see her look at me from the corner of my peripheral. "It doesn't matter?"

"No. I wasn't planning on going to college, even before I met you, so..." I kick at the dirt. "Man, that chick is wearing hills. Must be killer to walk in on this grass."

"What?" Spencer demands. "Who cares about her heels, Ashley, you really - "

"God, they're so ugly, too. Are they brown, seriously?"

"Ashley!"

"What?"

"I want to know what you're gonna do! In a few seconds we're going to throw our hats in the air and graduate from high school, and nothing's going to be the same after that. I need to know that we won't change." She says passionately, holding onto both my arms with her hands. "I've been going crazy lately because you've been acting so...I don't know."

"Spencer..." I shake my head. "I don't care about college. I can buy myself tuition to any school I want. You're what I care about. You." I smile for her, feeling my nostrils flare from the unexpected tears stinging my eyes. "I'll do whatever you want." I say simply, because it's true. "I'll stay here and wait for you if you want me to. I'll visit you ever weekend. Or I can enroll at Ohio State, I don't care. I'll get us an apartment in your old neighborhood. Just say the word, say anything."

"Ashley." She says breathlessly, tears clinging to the pools of her eyes and then falling at the last second.

"Oh, God, don't cry." I wipe the tears away quickly. "You'll mess your makeup, silly. It's not a big deal, it's not."

"It is." She tells me, swallowing a fresh batch of tears. "It's the biggest deal, Ashley."

"Well, okay." I use my finger to clear away tiny streaks of mascara from under her eyes. "If you say so. I just want you to be happy."

Up on stage, our principal announces us the the graduating class for the year, officially.

"I just want you." Spencer says, then steals the hat from my head and tosses it up into the air, along with the hundreds of others.

---

"Hey, poindexter, you lookin' for a good time?" I pull up next to Spencer, one of my classes having gotten out early. I caught her enroute from campus to our small apartment, arms full of books.

"You could not have shown up at a better time, sweetheart." She says, sounding tired. I stall the car in the middle of the street and hop out to open the car door for her, taking all her books and tossing them in the backseat. "Did your lecture end early or something?"

"Something like that."

"My Dad was so thrilled when I told him you were thinking of being a psychology major." Spencer says, meeting my hand halfway and gripping it loosely as I drive. "He's taking full credit, you know."

"Aw, he called and you didn't let me talk to him?" I ask.

"Sorry, Ash." She just laughs, "He said they were having Christine over for dinner tomorrow."

"I'm sure it'll be a total bash." I say, pulling into our parking spot. I insist on carrying Spencer's books for her up the stairs. I crane my neck up to the sky before I close to door to our apartment, "Man, it's going to snow soon, I think."

"I'll keep you warm, Davies." Spencer calls from the kitchen, "It's only your second Ohio winter, you're still an amateur."

I drop her books on the table and toss my keys, "I know, you have to teach me your ways." I wrap my arms around her and lay my chin on her shoulder as she surveys our cupboards.

"What do we want for dinner?"

"What are our options?" I ask, kissing her lightly on the neck.

She almost purrs at the contact, but manages, "Noodles and more noodles."

I nibble gently on her earlobe. "I'm tired of noodles. Can't I just have you?"

"Hmmm." Spencer turns around to face me in my arms, pressing her body into mine. "I think that can be arranged, actually."

With practiced ease, I scoop her up into my arms and carry her the few steps into our bedroom.

--

"Hey, Spencer, check it out." I stand proudly next to my stumpy, poorly made snowperson in the parking lot.

She stares at it for a second, considering. "That looks like a giant ball of snow with sticks for arms and two lumps for...boobs? That is too precious."

"Hey, she's the first snow-person I ever made. It's Frostette the Snow-woman." I tell her, and she nods.

"Nice to meet you, Frostette." Spencer greets the snow-woman with a small shake to her branch limbs, and then she hands me a thermos. "Hot chocolate."

I thank her with a kiss. "Oooh, your lips are cold." She says.

"It's 'cause I've been out here laboring in the snow for you." I let her know, "You should warm them up some more."

She obliges, and after a while, she pulls away slightly. "You wanna drive me to class? I'll even let you walk me to the english building, too."

"I'd like nothing more." I reach up and pull her hat down tighter onto her head. "Your cheeks are the brightest shade of pink I've ever seen, you have to keep warm."

"Yes, Mother."

"Ew, gross, man. Oh, speaking of Mothers, yours called. She wants us to come down for Christmas this year." I tell Spencer, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the car. "She says she understands that we wanted our first two Christmases on our own to be just us, but this year we better make an appearance."

Spencer laughs, "Does that mean we're going to LA?"

"That," I say, unlocking her door and kissing her swiftly. "Means we're going to LA."

"Gotcha." She says, about to step into the car, but stops at the last second and rushes back up the stairs.

"Where are you going, you madwoman?" I yell after her.

"I wanna get a picture of Frostette!"

--

"I got the internship!" Spencer cries, jumping into my arms.

"No way!" I wrap my arms around her and spin her around once, for good measure. "You're kidding. God, you're so amazing, of course you got the internship."

"I knew they loved me. Not to sound like, arrogant, but they totally did." Spencer allows herself to be conceited for a moment, she's worked so hard for it.

"Of course they did. Duh." I say, turning her around to take her coat off. "I'm gonna order you a cake the size of yourself."

"Are you gonna pop out of it?" She asks.

"If you want."

"I'll think about it."

"You do that. In the meantime..." We wrap our arms around each other, and slowly begin to sway. "Let's do this."

She closes her eyes and leans her head against my shoulder, and soon we find an easy rhythm.

"We're out of this place by spring." Spencer murmurs, referring to our joint college graduation date.

"I know." I say, feeling a tiny stab of melancholy.

"To the real world." I feel her breath against my neck.

"I might actually miss this place, even though my toes are numb half the year and this house creaks at night." I twirl her, making her giggle.

"And there's no good fast food close, and you never mastered the art of the snow-person?" She continues for me.

"Yeah, all those things, too." I sigh, pulling her back into me. "After this, you're right. It's the real world."

"Back to LA, with internships, and families, and loads of responsibility." She sounds reflective, "And we won't have time to dance in our kitchen anymore."

"Oh, come on. I could dance with you in my sleep."

--

"How's Spencer?" Mr. C asks.

"She's great, she's like, superwoman." I tell him, and he looks pleased.

"She likes her internship?"

"She loves it, and she does such great work." I shake my head. "She's just, so brilliant. She loves the magazine she works for."

"I'm glad. I hardly ever talk to her anymore, thank God you still come around or I wouldn't know what she was up to." He says, swirling his glass of orange juice. I stopped by the Carlin house before breakfast, hoping to ask Mr. C something really important.

"Just saving the world, per usual." I say, feeling a bit nervous.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that. How are you doing?" He asks, tilting his head. "Spencer said you were doing charity work?"

"Oh, just sort of. Not like, a bunch or anything. I'm just bored, sometimes, you know." I shrug.

"Well, listen, Ashley, I've got an interesting proposition for you. I know you've got your degree, I just thought you would like to come down to the center a couple of times a week and start getting some hours toward your license." He says, like it's not a huge deal.

"What?" My eyes widen. "You're serious, you'd do that?"

"Of course I'd do that, Ashley. You've made my daughter so happy, I feel like it's the least I could do." He says sincerely, and to my surprise, pulls me into a hug.

"Aw, man." I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping not to cry. "You're awesome, Mr. C. Seriously. You don't even know."

He chuckles at me, "Don't mention it."

"I'm so going to mention it." I tell him, sniffing. Then I compose myself and take a deep breath, then another. Mr. C pats my shoulder and gets up to wash off his glass. "Hey, Mr. C?"

"Hm?"

"I have something I wanted to ask you..."

--

"The editors changed their minds about twelve times on just the smallest little things." Spencer raves, as I sit on the bed, watching her undress after work. "They work me to the bone."

"Aw, tell them to leave your poor bones alone." I get up and decide to help her, taking her frantic hands away from unbuttoning her top and begin doing it for her. "Tell them your girlfriend says be nice." I say, kissing her shoulder as I pull the shirt off of her.

"I will."

I begin undoing her belt, kissing her cheek, then I pull back a bit to look in her eyes.

"What?" She asks.

"Nothing. What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She narrows her eyes at me and tries not to grin.

"Jeez, no reason!" I exclaim, averting my eyes.

"You're blushing. Why are you blushing?" Spencer demands playfully.

"Hey, did you know your Dad offered me like, a position in his office?" I tell her, pulling the belt off of her.

"Really?" She asks, and I nod. "Wow, that's so nice of him. Nice attempt at changing the subject, Davies."

"I thought so."

"Hey." Spencer catches me by the chin. "What's up?" She asks warmly.

"Spencer and I slammed into each other on the first day of our junior year. Almost eight years ago. And for eight years I've been completely, inescapably in love with your daughter, Mr. C."

"You love me, Spence?"

"More than anything." She answers without a beat.

"And she loves me, too. She's made me happier than I ever thought I could be for the better part of a decade, and that means more to me than anyone will ever know. She's beautiful, and funny, and she understands me, and kisses me even when I'm sick. It's like when I met her she had something in her that I needed, and it kind of made me whole."

"Well, I love you, too." I say, and give her a soft kiss.

"Good." She says sincerely, holding my gaze. She waits a second, then kisses my forehead, heading off to the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower, sweetheart. Dinner better be ready when I get out." She throws a smile over her shoulder. "Just kidding. But seriously, order a pizza."

I listen as the water is turned on, and I watch as the steam pours out of the open bathroom door. Spencer never bothers to close it, not when it's just us.

"I want to make Spencer happier than she thinks she can be. I want to...I want to give her all her wildest dreams, you know? And I think I can. I actually think we might be able to be happy for, I don't know, something close to forever."

Almost in a daze, I find myself at the bathroom door, and in a few seconds, I find myself undressing.

In the shower, Spencer begins to sing to herself.

"I've always been able to talk to you, Mr. C. You're actually one of my best friends. I just came to you today because you were one of the first people to help me believe that I was a good person. And I guess what I'm hoping is that you'll tell me I'm good enough to ask Spencer to marry me."

Without warning, I jump in to meet a soapy, wet Spencer. She turns around and is surprised to see me.

"Mmm." She leans forward to press herself into me, and we share a long kiss. "So glad you decided to join me." She grins.

I reach out with one trembling hand and brush a few dripping strands of hair out of her eyes. "I'm gonna ask you something, 'kay?"

She tilts her head, and for a second, I can't read her eyes. We both stand in the shower for a moment, steam swirling around us, until I take her hand and drop to one knee. "Would you marry me?"

Her jaw drops, then closes. Her eyes are bluer than I've ever seen them, and she pulls me up from my knee and before I know it, I'm against the wall, and her hands are tangled in my wet hair, and she's kissing me in a way I can't quite comprehend.

I pull away for air. "I mean, I know we're young, but we can have as long of an engagement as you want, and I already got your Dad's blessing, and I love you so much, and we can pick out rings together, and I just love you so much, and please say something, Spencer."

"Ashley...yes. You know it's yes. You're the only thing I've ever wanted." She says, so earnest, and I immediately feel a foot taller. I hold her face with my hands, touching it, feeling her happiness underneath my touch.

"Your Dad always said to me, he told me that everything is just a series of moments, all strung together to form a whole lifetime. And we're so young, and we have such a great life together already, but I know we have so many more moments to make, I want us to have a lifetime to live together."

"I want that, too. I want that so much. I think...I think that I couldn't possibly love you more than I do right now." Spencer tells me wistfully.

"I'll take that as a challenge." I kiss her before the tears start flowing from my eyes, mixing effortlessly with hers, camouflaged by the water droplets as they make their way from our cheeks down the drain, and to wherever they may be carried beyond that.

Hey! I only found this story yesterday and read the whole thing through so you can imagine my surprise when i go online today and find it's been finished up (great ending btw). i guess i must have perfect timing eh!

anyway thought i'd just comment to say how fantastic this story is and for giving it the ending it deserves

OMG YES UPDATE! GAHH I'M SO EXCITED!

Ashley and Spencer are so adorable! I loved the proposal it so amazingly cute!

I love this story sososo much! I cannot wait for the next part!

Thank you for updating!!

They're alive! And it was such a good ending, no missing limbs or lives or anything so now I don't have to feel bad for making stupid bets.

I love how you skimmed through their years in college giving us glimpses, they were so adorable, and the final proposal scene was sweet. Spencer didn't completely expect it, but she felt Ashley wanted to say something, that's how well she knows her and her face lol, aw.

Thank you for finally finishing, now I can put this to rest. Sucks for you though, no more recitatifcat or lame sentences involving the word haha.

Finally!

I just have say that this is one of the best versions of Ashley. Well, right along with HSISOD Ashley. You write the girls banter so well and I just love it.

Thank you so much for finishing it and I'm sure you're happy to get Ang and tutorgurl off your back. lol

Awww! The ending was just perfect and cute and adorable. I have to agree with jbs10 your Ashley is one of the best versions of Ashley in any fic. She just makes you wanna hug her and squeeze her. Thanks.

Loved the ending!

Aw such a great ending to such a great fic. Wow, thanks for posting this story. It's been amazing. I laughed so much and even got a little teary that this was the end. But anyway, please continue to write! I love your writing so much. Thanks again.

I thought for sure that my eyes were playing tricks on my when I saw that you updated this last night, but alas! Like Ang, I'm thankful that you kept the body count to a zero, though I knew you would.

This was just so so cute, and I definitely think it was best to split it into two parts, since they both seemed like two different chapters anyway. Poor Ashley, stuck with that lame shrink, but it's a good think that she's practically sane now, so she doesn't really need his help much. Paula and Christine getting drunk together is always good in my book, obvs.

I really really loved that second part, it was pretty much perfection, if I do say so myself. I loved seeing all of the glimpses of them for every year of college, so we can see that they never stop being perfect, and that they're still super happy in the future, even though I totally knew that would be the case. This version of Spashley might just be the most perfect version ever written, and you win at life for writing this, no matter how long it took you to finish it. It was soooo worth it in the end.

Now, I must go start my reread, since this is pretty much one of the only fics that I could honestly reread over and over and over again and never ever get sick of it.

Just found this through the rec thread and i'm so glad i did it's bloody amazing!

I love Ashley and Spencers relationship and i gotta say all homophobes should be bombarded with ketchup sachets. It's the way forward!

Loves it!

amazing story.
i love how ashley was the one unsure about her sexuality in this one.
it just... wow. the pace was perfect. the characters were formed really well. the storyline was original. just awesome.

God only knows how I managed to miss the long-awaited finale to this one, but like a fool, I did. So I took it upon myself to read the whole thing again, which is never a chore, let me tell you. Even when page 2 kept crashing to my increasing agitation, nothing could take anything away from how damn good this fic is. Pretty much perfection all the way through, that's all I can say.

Seeing as I also spent hours last night re-reading Ad Vitam (yes, on Valentine's Day, don't judge my embarrassing singleness) and was re-amazed as to how much I love that one too, I think you could pretty much say I'm your new biggest stalker. Seriously, I don't think there's a Spashley writer around that has the all-round talent that you do.

POST THE REST OF YOUR FICS! We all know you're hiding them, unfinished or no. Please don't make me try to navigate that SON Online site. It makes my head 'splode. Now, I'm off to read How Shall I Speak Of Doom whilst waiting around for greatness to grace us again... and stalking you a little, too.

Effing rude. Why you always all up in my bizness, Ang, detracting from the best of s' amazingness like that, yo?