South of Nowhere 1. Chapter 1

**Hello, lovely people out there! So this is something new that came to my mind today at school. So much for paying attention.. Let me know if you guys want me to continue with this. It is kind of the cliché teacher-student story, except that it's not at all ;) Review if you wish:) **

**Addicted**

Chapter 1

Today was just another day for Ashley Davies to go and try to cope with herself and those around her. She poured a handful of pills in her palm while still sitting in her fancy car parked in the school's lot. She felt herself relax at the sensation that those pills and the síp of Jager that she downed them with made her body feel.

With her huge sunglasses placed firmly on her nose, covering up half of her tired face and bloodshot eyes, the brunette made her way to the entrance.

Ashley hadn't slept for days. She had insomnia, that was for sure. At least she was completely sure, but her doc wouldn't let her use any strong sleeping pills, instead he just prescribed her Valeriana.

_'What a tool..' -_ she thought as she puffed on her cigarette.

She walked into her first class, History. Without taking any notice of the people in the classroom, she threw her shoulder bag down next to the last seat in the back. A scared looking red head jumped up from the seat and hurried to the front, letting the brunette have her place. '_She must be new here' _Ashley thought. She plopped down on the chair in the back that was always free. No one wanted trouble with Ashley Davies, so no one dared taking her place.

Ashley put her head down, about to take a well-deserved nap, when someone actually had the courage to walk up to her and clear their throat.

„Ahem" Ashley couldn't believe her ears. For the last couple of months no one dared talking to her.„And you are?" The voice said from beside Ashley's seat.

Now she was pissed. She just didn't want to be bothered, is that so much to ask for?

She looked up at the source of the voice. It was a tall blonde girl, with glasses and sneakers on, a white bottom-up shirt covering her upper body and tight black skinny jeans hugging her legs. She looked casually but smartly dressed. If Ashley wasn't so pissed right now, she might even find her hot. But then again, the brunette _was _pissed.

„And why exactly does it matter to you who I am?" she spat, her words coming out in an angry growl.

The blonde took a surprised step back, her eyes growing a little wide at the smaller girl's reaction.

Hell, she sure did not expect a reaction like this from a student. '_This is going to be harder than I thought it would be_..' she thought but composed herself quickly from the initial shock and stood a little straighter now in front of the fuming brunette.

„Because I am you teacher and you're late. I ought to know who I'm giving detention to." It was Ashley's turn to be surprised. This hot thing was her teacher? '_Come on, I must've taken one too many..' _ She smirked at that, thought she didn't really know why.

„Well, in that case," Ashley stood and put her hand out, with the free one she took off her sunglasses. „I'm Samantha Green. But you can call me Sam" she winked as the class started giggling.

The blonde did not fail to notice the brunette's bloodshot eyes and the huge circles under them. She looked exhausted and there was something else, too, but the new teacher wasn't one to jump into conclusions so quickly.

She was also suspicious with the whole class practically laughing out loud now, but she took the offered hand anyway.

„Spencer Carlin. But you can call me Miss Carlin" Spencer smirked at her little comeback and some of the guys in the class whistled at her words. Still, the undying giggles that came from the rest of the class made her a little uneasy.

„Well, it is so nice to meet you, Spencer Carlin" Ashley smirked again, she loved how her name rolled off her tounge so easily. Maybe this year she might have some fun in History. With her last sentence though, the brunette slipped her sunglasses back on and was already back in her seat in a half-asleep position again, the throbbing pain in her head making it impossible for her to pay attention any further.

Spencer rolled her eyes and walked back to her table, thinking that this girl is going to be a hell lot of trouble. But the blonde wasn't one to back down either. She decided right there and then, that she will teach some lessons to the disrespectful brunette. She might be young, but she will not let a high school girl disrespect her in any kind of way. She pulled out a paper and wrote down 'Samantha Green- detention' and smiled a content smile.

Ashley, on her part felt her head almost crack with pain and reached for pills in her pocket. Glancing up at the blonde teacher she saw her being occupied with smiling to herself. Ashley let a small smile slip at how weird she was and quickly denied to admit even to herself that she, at that very moment, found the blonde adorable. Seeing that she didn't pay attention, the brunette gulped down two pills and than rested her head back on her arms.

Chelsea walked up to Ashley's locker and leaned against it.

„Are you ever going to talk to me again?" She tried and the brunette turned away, starting to walk. She did what she always does, ignored everyone around that wanted to make any kind of connection with her. She was sorry about Chelsea though. She's really great. And that is exactly why Ashley did not want to involve her in any of this.

„Ashley, for the love of God stop walking away from me!" Chelsea's scream startled the brunette. And appearently everyone else, too, in the cafeteria.

A certain blonde curiously eyed the scene unfold in front of her from afar.

„Quit being like this! What did I ever do to you to deserve such treatment?!" she said, this time a tad bit calmer but still loud enough for the whole school to hear. Ashley shut her eyes tightly at her words.

She slowly turned around to see that the skinny, black girl had tears streaming down her face.

„Why would you be like this with me? With me out of all people! I mean I get it, you're being the distant self that you are sometimes, but don't you dare doing this to me, your best fucking friend, Ashley! Stop it or I'll tell Madison to slap some sense into you!" Chelsea finished out of breath and Ashley couldn't help but let a snort go at her last statement. Quickly, to hide from the curious eyes Ashley pushed Chelsea into an empty classroom.

„Keep it down, woman!" the brunette whisper-yelled at her best friend.

„Ashley Davies _can_ talk! So the cat did _not_ take your tounge. Great, would've been a shame." the black girl crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised an eyebrow at the Davies girl. „Now, what the hell is up with you?"

Ashley leaned against a desk and sighed.

„Chels, please don't make me lie to you."

The black girl had worry in her eyes as she stepped closer to the brunette, placing both her hands on Ashley's arms. She looked into her eyes and had to snap her gaze away just as quickly. What she saw in there was not something she wanted to recognize in anyone's eye. The brunette was broken. Emptiness took over those mocha orbs, along with pain and hurt. She managed to look back at her best friend but Ashley pushed her away and grabbed her temples, strongly massaging it, eyes shut.

„Ashley.." Chelsea started but was cut off by the bell and kids floating into the classroom.

„I have detention, I gotta run" the brunette cut through the mass of bodies and ran to her car, out of breath she leaned against it tiredly. She had no intention of going to detention, hell, no way. She reached into her pocket for her pills, pulling it out, she realized the bottle was empty. Unlocking her car, she was ready to get her dose, but was stopped by two big hands on her fragile shoulders.

„Miss Davies, it came to my attention that our new teacher, Miss Carlin, gave you detention today. So I hope you were not about to speed off school grounds. The classroom is that way" The principal smugly pointed at the classroom and the brunette felt anger coming up, but decided against hitting him in the face. Instead she mustered up a hardly-there smile and nodded, without another word walking back to school.

Her hands shaking uncontrollably, Ashley entered the classroom.

„Being late for detention, too, _Miss Davies_?"

_'Another smug looking teacher, great'_- thought Ashley as she made her way to a free desk. She didn't have to search for long, given that she was the only one in the room. And Miss Carlin of course.

„So.." Miss Carlin started and made Ashley grimace. The blonde smirked. If annoying the girl would make her back off and stop with her rude behaviour then that's what she'll do.

„So" the brunette spat back, rolling her eyes at her new teacher, trying hard to control the contiguous shaking of her hands, with not too much luck.

„Why did you feel the need to lie to me about your name, Miss Davies? You must have been aware that I would find out eventually." the blonde asked, standing from her seat.

Ashley rolled her eyes again.

„Can we just get this over with, Teach? I don't really feel like chatting." she said with sarcasm taking over her tone.

„Well, I do. And we will chat, feel like it or not." The blonde teacher had a smirk gracing her lips and Ashley couldn't believe her eyes. No other teacher was brave enough to talk to her this way. Not anyone, actually. She let a smirk slip, too.

„If you feel so interested in talking to me, than I might as well should just give you what you want." The young girl smirked again, this time giving the blonde a seductive look and her teacher's eyes grew wide once again that day.

„Just answer my question, Miss Davies." Spencer, once again stood up straighter.

„I found it funny." the brunette simply said.

„You found it funny?"

„Yep."

The loud laugh that escaped the blonde startled Ashley again.

„How old are you, again?" The new teacher asked between giggles.

„18 and what the hell are you laughing at?" the brunette asked angrily.

„Language!" Spencer put one finger up to make her point but continued having her giggling fit.

Ashley scoffed and got up from her desk.

„And what do you think you are doing?" The blonde's laughing died down as her student made her way to the door.

„I'm leaving." Ashley simply said with a shrug of her shoulder.

„No, you're not" Miss Carlin tried to sound as demanding as she could master but she failed miserably, she knew from the way the brunette's mouth twitched up into another smirk.

„I'm not? Watch me." Ashley winked one last time at her new teacher who already annoyed her to no end and left the classroom.

Spencer Carlin was never walked out on before.

But then again, neither was Ashley Davies laughed at before.

„Hello, come in Miss Carlin" Principal Miller said and motioned her to a chair.

„So what is it that you wanted to discuss?" he smiled politely but looked tired, his tie was loosened. Principal Miller was quiet a huge man, but with a very kind smile. He was not intimidating like other principals try to be, he was just a nice man who sometimes loved to be bossy.

„There's a student in my class.." Spencer started but Principal Miller waved her off immidiately.

„Let me guess, you're here to talk about our precious Ashley Davies, right?"

„Uhm.. Yes, actually." The blonde felt like maybe she shouldn't have come to the principal with this.

„What did she do now?" he sighed and wiped the sweat away from his forehead.

Spencer shifted in the seat uncomfortably but started talking anyway.

„Well, for a first, she's unbelievably disrespectful towards teachers, well towards everyone. I gave her detention because she was late for my class and she showed up late to detention as well, and then just walked out on me." Spencer felt a little more anger towards the brunette now, thinking things over.

„Oh, well be glad she actually showed up. She wouldn't have if it wasn't for me being there to escort her." the old man let go a giggle but soon stopped when Miss Carlin's eyes darkened disapprovingly.

„Look, Miss Carlin.. I know that she's a pain in the ass, okay? But she actually jumped a year, she's very smart for her age.."

„Wait, how old is she?" The blonde asked, thinking that she wouldn't be surprised if Ashley lied about that, too.

„17," - '_oh, there we are' _Spencer thought and rolled her eyes but let the man continue."..she will be 18 next month. But she jumped a grade because anything we tried to teach her, she already knew it. It was a big step, considering that our students spend 5 years in this high school along with their prep year. So she's technically 2 years ahead of everyone, she's in a class full of 19 year-olds or even twenty year-olds. Anyways, the case hadn't changed, we still can't show her anything new, the girl is like an encyclopedia. So we just leave her be. I wish you met her last year, she was a real sweetheart.."

The old man had sadness in his eyes and Spencer was even more curious now about this whole situation. The blonde also wondered how the man knew so much information about Ashley, as in the exact date of her birthday. That seemed a bit weird to her but she just let it slip.

„So, please just let her be late and take a nap in your class for all I care, but just don't bother her. I know it is somewhat a shame that we can't get her attention with anything but to be honest, as long as she writes her tests, and let me tell you she gets straight A's all of the time, we just leave her alone for good. You should probably do that, too. I know it's hard for you because you're such a young teacher and you're ambitious to no end, but trust me Darling, she's not worth it anymore."

Spencer sighed at the man's words. She felt there was so much more to this story but she didn't push it. It was not her place to do so. So she thanked the principal and left the school, still thinking about a certain brunette whose smirking face wouldn't leave her mind since the first time she walked in.

'_God, that girl is annoying.." _Miss Carlin thought as she took a bus home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Thanks to those who reviewed on this or followed it, it means a whole lot! :) keeps me going. By the way, I'm also writing another little story, 'Save me, Save You', so check it out if you feel like it:) well, after my kind-of-pointless ramble, on with the story: **

**Chapter 2**

Ashley Davies had a routine to go with every day.

Wake up, take pills, have a longer shower than necessary, cry under the hot water that burns her skin, checking her watch to make sure she _will be_ late, get in her car, get caffeine into her system in any kind of form from coffee to energy drinks, stop outside the school in the parking lot, take more pills to ease the pain and brace herself to get in a room full of people.

Today was no different and the brunette was already almost 30 minutes late when she pulled up in her usual spot and parked.

'_The blonde will be so happy' _She smirked to herself as she made her way to the classroom.

As the brunette set foot inside, Spencer took her in thoroughly. The brunette wore ripped skinny jeans, Converse on her feet and a vintage t-shirt which looked oversized. A leather jacket thrown carelessly over her shirt and the usual huge, aviator sunglasses covering her eyes.

'_She didn't even bother to carry her bag today." _Miss Carlin sighed and opened her mouth to speak, which earned a smirk from the awaiting brunette. She enjoyed this. Spencer rolled her eyes.

„Miss Davies, you're 34 minutes late" the blonde sighed.

Ashley slapped her forehead as if it was new information.

„Oh, I am? My sincere apologies, _Spencer Carlin_. I wouldn't miss your intriguing class for the World!" Ashley's tone burned the blonde's ears. She recalled the principal's words from the other day, but she just couldn't let it go. Ashley wasn't in class for the last two days and even now when she comes, she's late _and _rude.

„To you, it's Miss Carlin. Don't make me remind you again. Your disrepectful behaviour and obvious trouble with reading your watch earned you morning detention." Spencer said but she kind of already knew it was useless. Ashley's know-it-all smirk stayed in place as she stepped forward to the blonde's desk.

„See you then, Sexy" Ashley consciously licked her lips before leaving the startled blonde's desk to take her usual seat and start her usual nap. The class was thoroughly entertained with Ashley's behaviour and Spencer felt her cheeks become red because she was actually left speechless by the brunette. If she wasn't furious before, she sure as hell was now.

She grabbed her book, which was ten times heavier from the students' with all the notes she had in it and walked calmly over to the brunette's desk after a good 10 minutes of just Ashley seemingly being passed out on it. Throwing it down on the desk right beside Ashley's head, it landed with a loud thud. Ashley almost fell out of her chair at the sound coming from right next to her ear.

„What the hell?!" She jumped up, eyeing the blonde furiosuly. Their eyes locked in an angry glare, with faces only inches apart. Ashley was breathing heavily from anger but felt helpless.

„Watch your language, Miss Davies!" Spencer started as she stared the brunette down. „Now, I want you to read out loud and then tell me what you think about this particular curriculum." She opened the book for Ashley and pointed to the part she wanted her to read.

Ashley felt the headache coming up again at the harsh voice of her teacher. She couldn't stop and diagree or debate with her. She needed to sit down. Like, right away.

The brunette literally fell back into her chair with one hand grabbing the side of her desk, and the other over the book the blonde just threw there a second ago. She could only nod, speaking was not an option. That earned shocked gasps from the class and a nice little smirk from Spencer.

Ashley tried to compose herself. People were waiting on her to start reading. Everyone was waiting and staring at her. The blonde cleared her throat to signal the brunette she should start reading now. She let a puff of air go in her frustration, she had no other choice then to do what was asked of her. She opened her mouth and started to read out the first line of the page that her new teacher signalled with a sticky note.

„_The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) refers to two rounds of __bilateral__ talks.._" -

Ashley smirked and took her eyes off of the page immidately, still continuing with the text though.

- „.._and corresponding __International treaties__ involving the __United States __and the __Soviet Union__—the __Cold War superpowers__—on the issue of __armament control__. There were two rounds of talks and agreements: SALT I and SALT II. __Negotiations commenced in __Helsinki, Finland__ in November 1969. SALT I led to the __Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty__ and an interim agreement between the two powers. Although SALT II resulted in an agreement in 1979, the United States chose not to ratify the treaty in response to the __Soviet invasion of Afghanistan__ which took place later that year."_

By the time she got to this part Spencer was looking at her mouth dropped and eyes wide open. The class just seemed plain bored. The brunette never broke eye contact with Spencer while speaking.

„_The US eventually withdrew from SALT II in treaties then led to START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which consisted of (a 1991 agreement between the United States, the Soviet Union) and __START II __(a 1993 agreement between the United States and Russia). These placed specific caps on each side's number of nuclear weapons."_

The brunette finished and quirked a brow at the blonde. „Want me to go on?"

Spencer was speechless. „How.."

Ashley was amused. „I have.." she grabbed the book that her teacher threw at her earlier and walked out with it to Miss Carlin's desk, gently putting it down on it. „..already read this book." She ended with another one of her infamous smirks and the bell rang, making the brunette step out of the classroom immidiately.

She was in serious need of her drugs, her head was about to explode. With a rapidly beating heart Ashley made her way into one of the restrooms, sliding down on the door that she just shut behind herself. Hurriedly she took a moutful of pills and for want of better she downed them with water.

Spencer sat dumbfounded at her desk as the rest of the class slowly left the room. She couldn't hide the fact that she was indeed impressed. But that did not change the way how the brunette made her feel. She mostly felt anger towards the girl, her behaviour made her cringe even if she just thought about the way the brunette treated her, and everyone else around her.

She couldn't figure out why Ashley Davies made her so interested, but frankly, that was the case. After every little encounter they had, the blonde became more and more interested in how the girl transformed into the person that she is today. „_I wish you met her last year, she was a real sweetheart." _The principal's words were echoing in the blonde's head.

The day dragged by slowly, and Ashley was again escorted to class by the gym teacher who bumped into her in the hallway while the brunette was making her way out of school. With low growls she changed and walked out to join the rest of her class. The blonde, who was sitting at the bleacher's correcting tests, had a feeling to look up, and she immediately spotted the brunette girl, stopping in her tracks, tailing away from the other girls of her class. The air was thick and the sky was clouded. It was going to rain. Ashley closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She felt free for a second, realesed of everything burning her very being.

The blonde stared at her intently, not being able to keep her eyes off of the fragile figure of Ashley Davies.

The moment of freedom the brunette felt was taken away when a ball was thrown against her chest.

„Move it, Davies!" Another brunette smirked as the ball she threw hit Ashley, making her jump in surprise. But it didn't take long until the surprised expression was replaced with a sneer and the Davies girl made her way rapidly towards the other. Sensing trouble Spencer stood from her sitting position and debated with herself wheather to meddle or just leave it. She made up her mind and started walking towards the scene, too. She was a teacher after all.

Ashley was already in the other girl's face, gritting her teeth, her hands gripping tightly on the girl's shirt.

„What the hell is your problem?!" she seethed, shoving the girl not so gently.

„Jonica, Davies! Quit it, now!" Mrs. Flinch screamed from afar. The gym teacher was too occupied, flirting with the coach of the baseball team to notice sooner. Jonica smirked and took a step further again, stepping into Ashley's personal space.

„You're my problem, dyke," she shoved the brunette back by the shoulders and spitted on the ground. „Come on, bring it on Davies!" Ashley, trying to regain her composure, took a step back. She wasn't in search of a fight. She knew better. At least until the other girl decided to talk again..

„Aww, someone got a little scared here without daddy being around?"

The blonde watched from a little distance as the Davies girl's face contorted in something she realized as pain then suddenly madness. Anger. Boiling anger.

„You fucking cunt!"Ashley's fist connected with Jonica's nose and a loud crack was audible. Spencer watched in shock as the other girl instead of backing down threw herself at the brunette.

The punches were not girly at all, they were hard and repetitive. Ashley, now on the ground with the other girl on top of her, made no effort to protect herself from the hits or even to fight back.

The blonde grabbed Jonica to pull her off the brunette.

„That's enough, girls! Stop it, Larkin!" The blonde couldn't help but deny herself of being polite towards Jonica as the girl let her body be dragged away from a now bleeding Ashley Davies. The girl who she had a grip on wore a smirk and Spencer felt disgusted just looking at her. With no other words to Jonica she hurried over to the brunette on the ground.

„You okay?" Spencer's worried tone hit Ashley's ears as pushed herself up from her laying position.

„Stupid question" the brunette scoffed and shook off the hand that was unconciously placed on her shoulders by her teacher who's piercing blue eyes were boring into hers.

„I'm gonna get you to the nurse" Spencer said, not caring about the brunette's harsh tone.

„Leave it, Teach. I was about to go home anyway. Now I have a reason."

„I don't think so, Davies." Mrs. Flinch said, her eyes shooting fire at Ashley. „You're going to the principal's office, and I sure hell am going to make you pay for this! Fighting in my class, how dare you hit Miss Larkin?!"

The fuming teacher came rushing towards the brunette and Spencer was pushed aside as she grabbed the collar of Ashley's shirt. „You're not going to be able to get away with it this time, Darling." The woman's words were full of depravity. „You actually assaulted someone! You stepped over that one stupid line, oh God, how stupid can you get! You're so gonna pay! Finally." She said the last words under her breath as she made her way back to her office, leaving a dumbfounded blonde and a glassy-eyed brunette behind.

„What was that all about?" The blonde turned to Ashley, who simply waved her off.

„Trust me, you don't want to know, Teach" the brunette said, wiping blood that was coming from her bruised lips.

„Let me get you cleaned up. I have some stitches in my office, come on." The blonde more like commanded than asked, grabbing Ashley's arm. The brunette was in no mood to start mouthing off, so she just let herself be dragged into her teacher's office. She was sat on the table and told to sit still until the blonde finishes.

Ashley's hands started shaking again. She clenched them, tightly forming them into fists, then realeasing, trying to shake it off. This, like so many other things about the brunette, caught Spencer's attention, but she didn't call the girl on it.

Instead, she stood in front of her with a wet cloth and started cleaning the cut on her lips. Gently working, Ashley looked down at the teacher.

„You don't have to do this, you know" she mumbled.

„Stop talking, I'm trying to play the nurse here and you're not helping." The blonde joked but it didn't get quite the effect she was inteding on getting. Ashley's lips barely twitched up, there was a ghost of a half-smile on them before they went back to frowning.

„So, what was that all about?" She asked, as she finished with the cut on the brunette's lip, and moved to her forehead.

„Why, _Spencer Carlin, _you're one nosy teacher." Ashley deadpanned.

Spencer pushed the cloth harder against the girl's forehead and the brunette winced. „Sorry."

„You really should respect people a little more." the blonde scolded and Ashley couldn't help the ironic chuckle. It was not the best idea. Her hand shot up to her lips another wince leaving them at the stinging feeling.

„God, you're unbelieveable." the blonde said, reaching up to the brunette's lip to check if it started to bleed again when a hand caught hers in mid-air.

Gently pushing it back Ashley ran her fingers down the blonde's forearm slowly, staring into mesmerizing blue pools.

„It's fine." she whispered and her gaze dropped from eyes to lips, making the girl in front of her tremble.

Spencer couldn't deny the fact that the younger girl was in fact very attractive to the eye. To her eyes anyway. And she knew it was trouble that she was so intrigued by her. She wanted to know more about the mistery that was Ashley Davies. An almost 18 year-old high-school girl seemingly having no boundaries at all, self-absorbed, cheeky, rude..hurt. Like any other teenager, she thought, but still, there was something. Something she couldn't quite make out about her, and it was bugging the blonde to no end. Spencer shook her head. Though she was only 24, she knew feeling attracted to the brunette was no good.

Not right.

She was a teacher after all.

And the sentence being repeated in her head for the second time that day, she sighed, backing away from Ashley, breaking all contact with her.

„Thanks for this." The brunette simply blurted out before leaving her teacher's office with a smirk plastered on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

„She overstepped her line! With her knowledge in martial arts, she could've caused serious injuries to that poor girl, Jonica! I will not accept something like this in my class, mainly not from a girl who could kill with her pinky!" Mrs. Flinch almost screamed, with her face already beat red.

The principal grunted at her words and waved at her to sit back. „Please, don't make her sound like a criminal, Mrs. Flinch. I'm sure Ashley meant no harm.."

„HUH! Do you even listen to yourself, Jeff?! She _is _a threat to our students!"

Spencer, though still very confused with everything that's been said, couldn't bear the woman's screeching and lying any more. Standing up from her chair, to everyone's - including the brunette's in word – surprise, she spoke up.

„As I recall, Miss Davies was the one laying on the ground with Miss Larkin on top, beating the living hell out of her!" she half-yelled, then shook her head slightly. „Pardon my french. She only hit her one time, which was of course not right, but I truly believe that it could've been avoided if it wasn't for Miss Larkin, insulting Ashley! The whole issue started out with Jonica throwing a ball at the unexpecting Miss Davies, for God's sake, so stop trying to put all the blame on her!"

Everyone, including Ashley stared at the blonde with slightly parted lips from shock. Principal Jeff Miller never witnessed any of the teachers stand up for Ashley Davies.

Sitting back into her chair, Spencer, now calmer, continued.

„So, you might as well reconsider who you punish here, Princilap Miller. And if Ashley gets punishment, then so should Miss Larkin. Personally, I would double her punishment for the violence she showed out there. I could hardly get her off of Miss Davies."

Jonica shot daggers at the blonde from her chair, but Miss Carlin didn't even bother to acknowledge her presence at all. Instead, her gaze wondered to the brunette, whose eyes were on the desk in front of her, a small frown tugging at her bruised lips.

„Well," Mr. Miller spoke next „Miss Davies and Miss Larkin will get equal punishment. Everyone can leave, I will let your teacher's know what your punishments will be." He said, waving everyone towards the door. Spencer did not fail to notice that the man turned to Ashley, who was seated right next to him.

„Ashley, dear.. let me help you. I know things are hard for you right now, after.." he trailed off but continued after a beat.".. but if you keep up with this behaviour you will leave me no other chance than to kick you out, or worse.." He couldn't finish because the brunette shrugged off his hand from her forarm and stood abruptly.

„Quit trying to help me, I never asked for it." And with that the brunette brushed past Spencer, who was still standing at the door, listening intently to what they were saying.

Spencer, still looking back at a saddened Principal Miller, shot off after Ashley. The brunette did not seem to notice that she was being followed as she made her way to the music room. She needed release, but a different kind this time. Getting through the locked door with ease, practically breaking in, Ashley quickly found the insturment she longed to play and sat down.

The huge, plain black piano was now occupied with a teary eyed Ashley Davies and the doorframe was shouldered by the blonde teacher, who was staring at the girl intently once again, as the brunette started playing a soft melody. It was a beautiful sound that already started to fill the blonde's heart.

_Symphony of silver tears,  
Sing to me and sooth the ring in my ears,  
Overcast these gloomy nights wear on,  
But I'm holding fast because it's darkest just before the dawn_.

The brunette sang the words so softly, silent tears slowly running down her cheeks. Spencer swore she felt her heart breaking with every word that left Ashley's mouth.

_I sang my princess fast asleep,  
'Cause she was my dream come true,  
Oh Annmarie, believe me, I loved you._

Hanging her head she continued in a quieter tone.

_But now those lonely lullabies,  
Just dampen my tired eyes,  
Because I can't forget you.  
Because I can't forget you._

Spencer was intrigued by the sound of Ashley's voice and the melody that her fingers expressed through the keys of the piano. It was full of emotions and the words were so well-chosen that she could hardly believe that a teenager could've written it, but seeing and hearing the brunette perform this song, she knew it belonged to her.

_I'll dissolve when the rain pours in,  
When the nightmares take me,  
I will scream with the howling wind,  
'Cause it's a bitter world and I'd rather dream._

The blonde's heart was aching for the fragile singer as she closed her eyes and listened, letting the lyrics sink in.

_Dizzy love turned a star lily pink,  
And hung above our lids too flushed to blink,  
But icy blue froze-_

The brunette abruptly stopped, silence falling over the room. That made Spencer snap her eyes open, afraid that she's been caught but realized that was not the case as Ashley angrily wiped at her never-ending waterfalls and a couple of seconds later continued playing the melody.

_-the fairytale cold,  
Though I treasured you and you sparkled with someone to hold._

_I sang my princess fast asleep,  
'Cause she was my dream come true,  
Oh Annmarie, believe me, I loved you._

_But now those lonely lullabies,  
Just dampen my tired eyes,  
Because I can't forget you.  
Because I can't forget you._

_I'll dissolve when the rain pours in,  
When the nightmares take me,  
I will scream with the howling wind,  
'Cause it's a bitter world and I'd rather dream_

The brunette's husky voice was full of sadness and hurt, but still rang so strongly in the quiet room. She was letting it all out. She hadn't played this song since everything fell apart and it was written by her shaky hands.

_I'll dissolve when the rain pours in,  
When the nightmares take me,  
I will scream with the howling wind,  
'Cause it's a bitter world and I'd rather dream.  
And I'd rather dream.  
_

Taking her hands off the keys, Ashley sighed. That is when she heard a silent sniff from behind and snapped her head around.

Spencer was standing there, unable to move, her tears falling relentlessly from her piercing blue eyes. Standing up as if she was sitting on wild fire, she hurried to the blonde.

„What are you doing here?!" She asked harshly, but she wasn't really angry. She looked at Spencer's drenched face and kind of recognized herself in the woman. „I'm sorry..are you okay?"

Spencer snorted bitterly. „I should be asking you that. It's just that this melody.. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have listened in on to you." The blonde was about to turn on her heels and leave when a hand grabbed her wrist.

„No, stay." The brunette even surprised herself with her own words. But she really didn't want her teacher to leave. Unexplained.

„That was beautiful, Ashley." Spencer admitted as she wiped on her tears.

„Thank you.." the brunette trailed off, reminded why she was here in the first place. „And thank you for standing up for me. You really shouldn't have had to, but still..thank you."

Spencer just nodded. Silence took them for a few seconds until the blonde decided to ask away.

„Who's the song about?"

Ashley looked at her expressionless almost.

„My dad wrote some of the lyrics and I just added a few parts and finished it after he died and I received his belongings." the words rolled off her tounge easily and she quickly realized that it was the first time she ever spoke these words. Spencer just nodded again, not really trusting her words or voice for that matter. She didn't know how to react to what she was just told.

„So, Annmarie..?" .

„My middle name." Ashley said. She didn't know why she was sharing so much but she couldn't help it.

„So which parts are yours?" Spencer felt so stupid for asking such random and possibly the stupidest questions, but her brain completely shut down ever since Ashley set eyes on her.

„The first verse, bridge and the chorus. And well, I composed the music." the brunette shrugged as if it was nothing.

Spencer chuckled a little at this. „So, practically the whole thing."

„You can say that.." the brunette trailed off and looked out the window briefly. „I better head home, I feel like I'm having a long day tomorrow. With the punishment and all.."

The blonde nodded as she followed her gaze out the window and realized that the sky became dark and the rain started falling slowly

„Stupid Seattle" she mumbled under her breath, knowing that waiting for her bus would make her end up totally soaked to the bones.

„What was that?" asked the amused brunette while instinctively searching for her meds in need to lessen the trembling of her hands.

„I just gotta catch my bus home, so I better hurry" Spencer smiled one last time almost bashfully at her student and started walking off.

„I can always give you a ride" said the brunette, who fell in step with her, after gulping down two much needed pills.

Spencer caught a glimpse of what looked like Alprazolam in the brunette's hand as she put it in the front pocket of her jacket.

„What was that?" she echoed Ashley's words from a couple of minutes ago and the brunette froze in her tracks, knowing exactly what the blonde meant. She wasn't quick enough at hiding the pills in her pocket.

„I.." Ashley violently whipped her head to the side while staring at the floor, her brows knitted together in anxiety, trying hard to think of something. Confused of why she would even try to talk herself out of this, she quickly turned to the other direction and walked as rapidly as she could, away from her blonde teacher, whose voice echoed through the halls.

„Ashley, stop!" like she never heard it, she kept walking until she collapsed inside of her vehicle, shutting her eyes closed, pushing her head back into the headrest. Ashley was scared. She wanted to tell Spencer everything. Those blue eyes were asking for it, and she was willing to give in.

'_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.' _She scolded herself, ephasizing the words by hitting the steering wheel countless times.

The next day, Ashley's anxiety hadn't ceased when she was put together with at least fifteen other students. As a punishment, firstly anyway, they had to stay late at school to clean up every single class room. And guess who was tending to watch them.

Extremely intriguing Miss Spencer Nosy Carlin. Ashley chuckled a bit at her newfound nickname to the blonde.

„Take your meds, Davies, seems like you need them." Jonica pointed at the brunette from the other side of the room, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear and gaining Spencer's attention, too.

„Girls!" Spencer spoke up, glancing back and forth between them.

Ashley shook her head and continued moving the rug over the desk, not really cleaning it properly. She was just tired, and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

After what seemed like hours, the brunette glanced at her watch. It was past eight. She sighed. When they said 'punishment' they really did mean it..

Spencer excused herself out, asking everyone to behave until she gets back.

The students around Ashley, mostly girls, to her biggest surprise, all stopped working and started chatting up. She took this as her cue to slide down the wall in the back, out of everyone's sight and comfortably sit until the blonde makes it back.

„Okay, listen up prisoners!" '_and the bitch speaks'_, Ashley humored herself into letting out a snort as Jonica stood up onto a desk, darting her gaze around in the class room.

„Given that we're left alone and have to stay here for as who knows how long, I suggest we play a little game." She smirked. Everyone listened. Ashley knew that these little pricks feared Jonica, even though no one ever admitted it.

„It's called _Would you rather_" her smirk couldn't have gotten any more vicious as she eyed the students gathered around her. „You," she pointed at a small redhead, who winced as gazes were burning into her back, front and sides. „What's your name?"

Her small figure shook a little. She looked like the kind of girl who played the part of a shadow at high shool. Obnoxious people would call her a loser. Of course the precious Jonica would pick on her first. Ashley crunched her face in disgust.

„B-Brittany" the redhead stuttered out.

„Brittany," Jonica smirked wider as she squattered down to look at her better. „Now, would you rather..." she looked around, seeing awaiting expressions. „Lose all your clothes now for everyone to see your business," her evil smirk returning she continued. „or give our gentleman" she pulled a big, buff guy to her side „Aiden a good time? I'm sure you know how to blow" the statement was followed by her obnoxious laugh and some of the students snickered, too. The redhead was staring at the floor intensely, Ashley was sure she was wishing down on it, hoping she could just disappear.

Jonica, getting tired of waiting for a decision, got in her face.

„So? What would you rather do, Brittany?" She stroked her face, pushing her hair behind her right ear. „You have to decide, Darling."

„I-I'm not doing either. I don't w-want to play." the redhead mumbled.

Jonica laughed out loud and was flailing her arms in the air.

„Did you guys hear that?! She doesn't want to play!" she laughed louder and some of her minions joined in.

„Everyone" _Smack _„plays!"

Some students gasped in shock as Brittany fell to the floor because of the hard slap she recieved. Ashley was quick on her feet.

„Get up! You can decide, you can choose, you're given a chance!" Jonica yelled down at her. „Now now, don't you cry, Brittany, shh." Jonica pulled the girl back up onto her feet. Some students, given the chance that Jonica wasn't paying attention, scooted out of the room. „Just decide, girl!" she smiled wickedly at the redhead, grabbing a fistful of her hair.

„Leave her alone, Larkin!" Ashley said stirnly.

„Now now! Our precious student decided to join our little game!" Jonica smirked and tightened her hold on Brittany. „What ya gonna do about it, Davies?" and with one motion she ripped apart the button up shirt that the redhead was wearing, showing off her bra-clad chest. Brittany started crying harder, shaking uncontrollably.

„I said .alone!" the brunette seethed through her teeth. The drugs she took couldn't contain the boiling anger that Jonica was causing her to experience.

„Please don't.." Brittany stuttered out.

„Oh, so you choose Aiden, huh. Who would of thought! You little slut.." and with that Jonica pushed the girl into Aiden's arms. „She's all yours."

Ashley couldn't contain her anger anymore and with a very precise move she kneed Aiden in the balls, releasing Brittany, who immediately ran out of the classroom, and with another one of her precisely learned moves, tackling down Jonica in a death-grip.

„Can't control your anger, huh, Davies? Tsk-tsk.." Jonica managed to breath out.

Ashley had tears forming in her eyes. She just wanted to break her neck and end her life right there and then.

_'I could do it.. it would only take one move. One simple move..__and she would be dead. Like she deserves to be.. Get it together, for God's sake!_'

Ashley was debating with herself, having an internal battle between her concious, mind and her instincts.

„I could just fucking kill you right now, you know.." She whispered out, feeling a drop of sweat roll down the side of her face. Everyone was occupied by either leaving the room or watching the scene unfold. No one noticed the teacher standing in the door with her mouth dropped at the sight.

With Ashley having Jonica in literally a death-grip and Aiden doubled on the floor, she was frozen. The brunette's words made her wince. They were so cold and determined. The Davies girl sounded like someone who was trained to kill. Yes, in this position even looked like she was a professional killer.

„I could just break your neck and end your life, Jonica." Ashley, who was speaking with gritted teeth, still hadn't loosened her grip on the other girl's neck that was starting to have trouble with breathing.

Spencer finally was able to move her legs and stepped forward just to see that Ashley was shaking violently, letting go of the girl who was now gasping for much needed air. Backing off, the brunette shook her head, closing her eyes then opening them again, grabbing onto her hair. The shaking of her body hadn't stopped and her breathing became ragged.

Spencer, not taking her eyes off Ashley, spoke up. „Everyone, detention's over, go home"

Aiden finally stood and helped up Jonica. They quickly made their way out with the last remaining students, happy that Miss Carlin did not call on them about what happened while she was gone.

Ashley's hand connected with the hard, conrete wall loudly. Spencer's eyes widened as she started making her way towards the brunette, but before she was able to reach her, Ashley's fist met the wall several times again, before sliding down against the wall. Having her head in hands, she started pacing back and forth slightly.

„Ashley?" the blonde decided to approach the brunette but she didn't answer. She didn't even acknowledge her teacher.

„Ashley.." Spencer called out again, leaning down, gently touching the brunette's bloody hands, pulling them away from her face. She found empty, glassy eyes staring into nothing. As if she was in some kind of a trence. Still pacing back and forth, her mouth slightly parted after she bit down on it, making her bruise bleed again.

Spencer had no other choice. Ashley was unresponsive so when she finally managed to pull her up, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and started dialing to call an ambluance.

She snapped her phone shut to end the call when something fell out of Ashley's hand. The pills scattered around the floor. Knowing very well that the brunette would get into trouble if they found any trace of drug in her system at the hospital, she decided to not take her there. Though she had no clue why she didn't want her to get into trouble because of it. She was a grown up woman, she should know better. But she wanted to know first hand from Ashley why she was taking medicine.

'_I will ask her about it later' _ She thought as she fished the car keys out of the girl's pocket and sat her in the passanger seat of the brunette's vehicle.

Escorting Ashley into her house, Spencer knew she was overstepping a boundary. But she could care less. Looking at the girl sitting on her couch, her heart was breaking a little again. She recalled the song Ashley played in the music room and she just couldn't believe how those words she said to Jonica could've possibly come out of the same mouth that was singing it.

She kneeled in front of the brunette, putting hands on thighs. „Ashley, can you hear me?"

Ashley's eyes darted at the blonde.

„I'm sorry." she whispered. „I'm sorry" she repeated and a heart-wrecking sob escaped her lips. „I'm so sorry."

Spencer couldn't help but pull her into an embrace. „Shh..it's okay."

Drawing soothing circles on the brunette's back, the blonde looked up into dark brown eyes again. „Let's get you cleaned up."

Ashley's body still couldn't function, so she let Spencer help her out of her clothes after cleaning up her hands and face.

Holding up her arms, Ashley felt her top being pulled off of her slowly. She heard Spencer's shocked gasp. If her muscles would do what she wanted them to do, she would definitely smirk bitterly now.

Spencer's lips were still parted at the sight of the brunette's upper body. Scars covered her abdomen and back, her arms,too. Long scars, short scars, superficial and deep ones equally.

„Ashley.." she whispered out, reaching out to trace one of the longest scars, running from her neck down to her belly button.A hand stopped hers.

„Don't.." the brunette gazed into blue eyes pleadingly. „Please."

Spencer had many emotions running through her at the same time.

Mostly she wanted to cry.

She also felt anger coming up at the thought of anyone hurting this beautiful brunette in front of her. She also felt her heart slightly break again a little bit for her student.

And she also felt how fast her heart was pounding in her chest as she could smell the intoxicating scent of the Davies girl, and feel the girl's breath on her lips, with a small nose gently brushing against hers.

* * *

**Reviews make me go on with my stories, so if you will..:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ashley sighed audibly.

She shouldn't do this.

She really shouldn't.

But there was this weird energy, pulling her towards the blonde. Whatever how cliché that might sound.

Spencer Carlin wasn't her teacher for the last two hours. She was Ashley's rope to grab, preventing her from drawning. Before completely losing it and drawning in the depths of her past, Spencer pulled her out. Jonica was just pushing the wrong buttons.

Very wrong ones, indeed.

Besides, Ashley couldn't deny, as much as she wanted to, that she was a hell lot of attracted to the woman in front of her.

Of course she couldn't know for sure if Spencer even swinged that way, but she was willing to take her chances.

That's just who she was.

Taking chances all the time.

She didn't mind Spencer seeing her scars, no. She was not embarrased by them at all. It reminded her how strong she really could be. How instinctive and cruel a person can be when they fight for their own lives. How she was able to pay back for each and every single one of those scars.

Oh, yes.

She shook her head.

There was another task in hand right now, and she wanted to pay attention thoroughly. Ashley did not want to push her luck, but the moment was already created. Her nose was brushing against her teacher's cheek, and Spencer didn't seem to try and push her away anytime soon.

The scent of her skin was driving Ashley crazy. All that annoyance and not always gentle teasing that she's been through with the blonde, turned into something enteriely different.

You could say lust, but that would not fufill how the brunette felt at the moment. Neither would it do justice to what Spencer was feeling.

Though it was there, that is for sure.

Desire, too.

Desire to get to know what's behind the curtain. The act Ashley seemed to have put on when Spencer first met the girl, all those things that happened since then. The brunette's melody, the way she never fought back when Jonica first attacked her, and the way she was only seconds away from actually ending a life tonight. Spencer saw it in Ashley's demanour, in her eyes, in the way she was shaking thoroughly; she wanted to hurt that girl.

„_With her knowledge in martial arts, she could've caused serious injuries to that poor girl, Jonica! I will not accept something like this in my class, mainly not from a girl who could kill with her pinky!„ _

Spencer recalled Mrs. Flinch's words from earlier and she knew, that the brunette would perfectly be able to do just that. There was something fierce in her brown orbs that told Spencer she should be afraid.

But not from Ashley hurting her, that she was not scared of.

Spencer was trying to put the picture together, but there were millions of missing pieces and she really couldn't think straight right at the moment.

She couldn't figure out how that happened.

How in the hell was Ashley so close to her all of a sudden?

Why was she letting her stay so close?

„Why are you doing this?" Ashley whispered into the blonde's ear, while bringing her hand up to the other side of her face, gently grabbing a hold of it. Not moving back from her ear, the brunette pressed the side of her face against Spencer's while letting out a frustrated sigh again, that tickled the blonde's skin.

„Doing what?" Spencer tried her best so that her voice wouldn't tremble. She didn't push the brunette away, she let Ashley touch her so intimately that if she was able to think straight right then, she sure would've slapped herself upside the head. But her thoughts were everywhere else but on the matter that her student was holding onto her in a way that could _actually _be pretty muchillegal.

„Let's see.." Ashley pulled back a little just to gaze into blue eyes. „I'm in your bedroom.. almost half-naked. You brought me here. You undressed me.."

The brunette's smirk made Spencer's stomach churn. When the first question left Ashley's mouth, Spencer was sure she was referring to everyhting she's done for her tonight. But no..

_'And she's back to being an asshole.' _She thought as she stepped back and out of the brunette's reach.

„You're unbelievable!" she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Ashley also scoffed as she plopped down on the blonde's bed.

„You already said that, Teach" she teased.

Spencer was fuming now. The unrespectful tone was back to Ashley's voice and she couldn't stand being talked to like that.

„You know you should really stop and think about why you're here! I helped you out back there, don't you think a little respect would be nice from you in return?!" Spencer's voice raised as she stomped her foot, stepping a bit closer to the brunette, seemingly trying to intimidate her.

„Well, I never asked you to!" Ashley yelled back, jumping up and getting into the Blonde's face, leaving only inches of space between them.

Spencer was rendered speechless for a whole two seconds before she snapped back.

„You better explain the pills!" she rushed out into the brunette's face.

„Who the hell are you to search through my clothes now?!" Ashley threw her arms up in frustration.

„I didn't, it fell out of your precious little hand, Darling!" Spencer said with sarcasm filling her voice, lifting the little box up for Ashley to see.

„Don't Darling me! And give them back!" the brunette tried to snatch the pills from Spencer.

Pulling back, the blonde ran to the bathroom and threw the pills into the toilet, flushing them with one simple movement.

Ashley stood behind the blonde, shocked.

She grabbed the blonde's arm and yanked her back to face her so furiously, that Spencer let out a little shriek of pain.

„What the hell, you bitch!" Ashley screamed at her without thinking.

And that was the last sentence before Spencer's palm connected loudly with Ashley's face.

Her eyes widened as her head snapped to the side by the force of the painful slap she'd received from the blonde teacher.

She stepped away from Spencer in kind of a shocked daze.

She brought her bruised hand up to her cheek, keeping it there for a second before stumbling out of the bathroom. Spencer didn't take off after her immediately, she was just as shocked by her actions as Ashley. But then shaking her head a little, she followed after the brunette hurridly.

„Ashley.." she exhaled as she watched the brunette put her t-shirt back on quickly, covering up her scars and fit abdomen.

Without so much as a glance at her Ashley passed by the blonde and left her flat.

Ashley let her tears fall from her eyes as she was speeding down the highway towards her empty house. She couldn't quite put a finger on why she acted the way she did towards Spencer, who actually helped her more than she could ever thank her today. It's just that she's seen way too much already. Of the vulnerable self of Ashley Davies, and the brunette did not want her pity.

Besides, she found out about the pills.

Ashley was pretty sure Spencer wouldn't want anything to do with a teenage junkie.

That she was completely, a hundred per cent sure of.

She had to play it off cool.

Ashley wiped on her tears fiercely as she was going way too fast down the road, trying to get rid of the stinging feeling that her previous behaviour towards Spencer caused in her heart.

* * *

Spencer wasn't surprised to see the seat in the back empty the next day.

She sighed and told the class where to open their books. Eyeing Jonica, who was smirking at the buff guy next to her, the blonde felt sick again. Spencer didn't know if she did the right thing yesterday by taking Ashley home with her, or closing her eyes over the pills, or slapping her and then letting her leave, for that matter.

She wasn't really sure of anything that involved a certain brunette.

And she hated the fact that she was so intrigued by Ashley.

The rest of the week went on exactly the same for Spencer: Come to work, have her first period with the class Ashley supposed to be in, finding out she's not there yet again, and then suffering through the day, wondering where she possibly could be.

Spencer scolded herself for caring so much, but she just couldn't help it. She even asked around a little in the teacher's room. They told her not to pay attention to Ashley's absence. She also managed to find out the brunette lived on her own. Both parents already dead, no siblings.

The blonde sighed at the hear of those news but made her way home without taking a look at the adress that was given in Ashley's profile. She really played around with the idea in her head to visit the brunette.

Check up on her, and all.

Scolding herself once again for even thinking such nonsense, Spencer made her way home.

* * *

When Monday came around Spencer really didn't know how to supress her growing concern about the Davies girl. It was absolutely clear to her that Ashley was doing things to harm herself.

The pills, for instance.

She had a knot in her stomach the whole way to the school, fearing that again, the brunette wouldn't show. Spencer knew that if that happened, she would be off to search for her.

Yes, she knew she was quite going crazy.

But all her worries went flying out the window when the first thing she spotted as she stepped into the classroom was Ashley, sitting confidently in her seat, staring straight at the door.

Well, now as she was standing in the doorway, at Spencer.

„Morning, Miss Carlin" Ashley spoke quietly, a ghost of a smile lingering on her lips.

Spencer didn't fail to notice how it was the first time Ashley ever called her respectfully by her last name, and also, the Davies girl was here early.

Her heart flattered a little.

„Good morning, Ashley" she said as she took her seat. She was about to speak again, in hopes of getting some information out of the brunette about where she's been and how she felt about that particular night, when she spotted something on her desk.

Spencer smiled.

A small paperflower was laid neatly onto her desk.

She glanced up at the brunette, who was also smiling now. Ashley nodded her head slighlty, and before the blonde could've spoken, the classroom started to fill.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ashley sighed as she entered her house. She felt lonliness creep into her soul as she made her way over to her precious bed and fell face first into the pillow, exhausted. She reached for her phone that was in her pocket, bringing the screen up to her face just to realize -for the millionth time - that no one would be calling or texting her.

She scrunched her face into what could be called a dissatisfied frown. But then suddenly one single thought made the frown turn upside down.

She was glad she made Spencer smile today. It made her heart feel a little warmer.

The brunette got back up and and changed into shorts and a black wifebeater, pushing the play button on her ipod as she left her house for a run.

Running took her mind off of things and she loved how her body was pshysically so tired, that it was aching for a rest, but she was still able to push her boundaries further.

Instenctively or not, Ashley ended up running nearby her blonde teacher's flat. She kept glancing at Spencer's door, as she already passed it for the seventh time. The blonde's lights were on, and Ashley kept hoping Spencer would come out and invite her in.

She shook her head hard.

'_You're fucking pathetic Davies, stop being a creeper and run along.' _She scolded herself inwardly.

The brunette figured it really was time to change routes finally, taking a sharp turn at the end of the street, colliding hard with another firm, but small body.

A big „Oww" was heard from both parties of the collision.

The brunette saw stars for a second, as her head actually hit the cement, though not badly.

„Oh, my God! I'm so sorry, are you ok?!" Came the rushed words from the other person.

Ashley snapped her head so quickly she was about to bet on having a whiplash right then and there from it. The gentle and raspy voice of one Spencer Carlin had that effect on her attention.

„Ashley?" The blonde bent down to help the girl up. „Are you okay?"

„Uh, yeah," the brunette breathed, still a bit dizzy.

„Are you sure?"

„Yeah, Teach. All good." Ashley gave a nervous laugh which surprised her and by the look of it, Spencer as well.

„What are you doing out here so late?" The blonde asked, before driving her eyes down on the brunette's body, realizing how stupid her question sounded.

„Running" came the curt answer from Ashley, who felt her skin burn under the gaze of the blonde.

Long seconds passed in silence, just the two of them staring at each other in the dark that the night'd provided.

„I, uh, better run along.." the brunette smiled awkwardly, inwardly slapping herself for being so lame. She wanted to say so many things to Spencer, but couldn't seem to bring herself to it.

„Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you hit your head pretty hard" Spencer came up with an equally lame excuse to get Ashley to stay around a little longer.

„I could use a coffee to make me feel better" the brunette tried, working her confident smirk, feeling the strenght to go back to her usual self, which is cocky and not a mess around girls.

Spencer smiled knowingly and ushered Ashley with a wave towards her house.

„I can't believe you're watching this!" the brunette laughed heartily.

Spencer scowled playfully and hit Ashley's arms gently.

„Wizards of Waverly Place is a funny series, you jerk!" Spencer deadpanned, but laughing along with the brunette.

„Come one, Spencer, you gotta aim higher. There are loads of better series than that..thing." Ashley pointed a finger at the TV screen, with a playful expression of disgust on her face.

„Yeah? Like what, your higheness?" the blonde gave an overdramatic sigh.

„Prison Break, for example?" Ashley stated as it was obvious and smiled in triumph as she saw Spencer actually think about it for a second.

They had small talk for a while, both enjoying the company of the other, not really wanting to destroy it with stupid questions or subjects. But the blonde couldn't keep it in anymore, after 30 minutes of practically meaningless conversation, she felt the need to ask.

„Ashley?" Spencer said almost timidly and had the brunette's attention right away with the softly spoken name.

„Yeah?" came the brunette's reply immediately.

„How did you get those scars?" The blonde knew she stepped into guarded territory, but she had to know.

Silence was the only thing that had them separated other than the cushions on the blonde's couch.

Ashley stared intently into her cup of coffee, weighing her possibility of lies that she could come up with. When she found none – to her biggest surprise and despair- she gulped and put the cup down.

„I should go." was the answer to the blonde's question as the brunette stood abruptly.

„I-," breathed the blonde with regret, „I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." She sighed. „You don't have to go." Spencer put a hand on the brunette's shoulder, squeezing it a little. „I know you live alone and..well, everyone needs company sometime, you can stay." The blonde had genuine concern towards Ashley, always being alone. She wanted her to know what it's like to belong, even though she kind of knew it was not her place to decide what's right or wrong for Ashley.

What she did not now is how badly she just expressed herself.

Spencer had no idea what she'd just said as those words left her mouth. Ashley shrugged off her hand and stepped away from the blonde.

„I'm not a charity case, Teach." said the hurt brunette, putting her running shoes on.

„Ashley, I didn't mean it like that.."

„Thanks for the coffee." the brunette said without looking at Spencer and she was out the door.

Sighing deeply the blonde plopped back down on the couch, feeling empty and lonely without the younger girl's nose-crinkling smile shining back at her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Well hello, haven't seen me around in a while, huh? Sooo, I know you all probably hate me for not posting as often as I used to - trust me, I hate myself, too, though why would that make you feel better, right?- Right. Okay-okay, hopefully this shorty will make you hate me a little less, I am planning on getting back to writing and posting more frequently, so - just for encouraging purposes - leave your thoughts in the review section if you will:) **

**On with the story:  
**

**Addicted**

**Chapter 6**

_Ashley had her face buried in her hands, shaking her knees up and down anxiously, waiting in an unexistent line._

„_Davies, pull your shit together and grab the knife!" shouted a rough voice from the distance. _

_It was really hot that day, the sun planning everyone's doom and the brunette couldn't stand it. She felt a drop of sweat roll down her neck, making its way under her dark green wifebeater. _

_The shouting did not help. _

_Neither did the sound of the pig struggling under the buff man's arms._

„_You're not in high school Davies, this is not a tea party, get it over with so we can move onto the next part of your training" _

_The man yelled again, this time Ashley stared straight at him, noticing the ugly veins growing big on his neck due to all the strenght he's put in trying to get her attention._

„_I don't want this," the brunette said, but it was so much as whisper and still heard Morgan - the guy holding the pig down - laugh out loud. _

_He heard her, of course. He always heard, saw, knew everything. _

„_It's not about what you want Princess, now grab that knife and come over here, Steve here is quite unhappy with the current position he's in right now" Morgan nodded down at the pig he was still holding down and Ashley felt her blood run cold. _

_She barely realized that she was walking towards them in a rather quick pace, knife in hand, eyes closing repeatedly. She was still able to make out the sound of a military 'copter nearby and from then on it was all blurry. Blurry, mixing with scenes she knew were not the reality anymore._

…...

„You will get out of here, they're coming to your rescue...I'm so sorry..I never wanted you to get involved in all this. I'm so sorry," stuttered the fake-blonde man in Ashley's arms, coughing up blood in the process.

„Don't you dare.. Dad, don't. Please, don't," she sniffed silently.

„It's-it's okay Baby, let me go,"said Raife, struggling with each word.

Ashley wringed the shirt on his chest.

„They will pay, I promise" she said through pursed lips and gritted teeth as someone kicked down the door of the place they've been kept in for what seemed like forever, and soldiers came rushing in.

She pulled her father close, whispering her promise once again before she heard his last breath leave his mouth and felt it reach her wet right cheek.

…_..._

_All she knew that the pig was over and done with, blood everywhere. On her hands, on her clothes and on the smiling face of Morgan._

„_Great job, Davies. You're not so hopeless after all." _

_And with that he patted her back and left the scene, leaving Ashley with the outcome of her anger._

_Her knees hit the ground as the knife fell out of her hands. _

**Present**

Spencer made her way to the classroom where she knew she would see Ashley again. She had a feeling the brunette would not go back to skipping her classes.

And like the sun after a summer rain there she was, sitting in the back, staring out the window, this time with her glasses off and a history book on her desk with some notes placed next to it quite neatly for such a rebel.

But today Ashley was not the only one capturing her attention. There sat also, right beside the brunette, the girl that was yelling at Ashley at the cafeteria earlier that week. She was playing with a stack of paper while stealing glances at the brunette next to her.

And that is when it hit her. This was her chance to do something to help the brunette, even if not really in a direct way. She took off her black rimmed glasses and spoke up.

„Okay, class, today I would like you all to choose a partner for an assignment that will have to be done in the next two weeks."

Spencer said and felt her heart flatter for a second as Ashley's head whipped around to look at her as soon as she started speaking. The blonde walked in between the desks, giving handouts about the assignment while everyone turned back and forth, deciding who they will do the project with.

Ashley did not move though. She just kept staring at Spencer and the blonde could feel her eyes burn into the back of her head.

So she turned around.

„Have you chosen a partner yet, Ms. Davies?"

The blonde was trying not to step over any line, but the dark skinned girl seemed to care about the brunette, and she knew Ashley was in desperate need of someone who cared.

So she turned to her as well, smiling brightly.

„Ms. Lewis? Would you like to partner up with Ms. Davies?"

„No, I can do it on my own." Ashley cut in, making both Spencer and Chelsea turn towards her.

She immediately regretted saying anything. She hated being on the spot.

„Well, I'd rather not have you do it all by yourself Ms. Davies and as I can see everyone else already has a partner, so," she handed Ashley a paper with the details of the assignment. „team up."

And with that she walked away from them with a slight smile playing on her lips. She hoped, no, craved for this to work out the way she'd wanted it to.

…..

The bell rang and Ashley didn't even bother to stand up or even gather her stuff. She stayed still, waiting for everyone to leave the classroom.

But as soon as it was empty – and after Chelsea made sure 3 times that they would meet up today after school to start the project – she jolted up from her seat and made her way to the blonde's desk.

„What did you do that for? I told you I can manage on my own, why, oh tell me dear Teach why on earth would you put Chelsea of all people to be my partner?" she said with eager movements of her arms to make a point.

„Because rules are rules. You are no exception." the blonde said without looking up from her paperwork.

„Spencer," the blonde snapped her head up to look at Ashley. „Sorry, Ms. Carlin..I really, really need to just do this on my own. Please."

Spencer stood and walked to the other side of her desk where Ashley was standing and put a hand on her shoulder.

The brunette yanked back from the touch a little but quickly composed herself.

Spencer sighed.

„I'm so sorry I'd slapped you, I.. I don't know what came over me and it was totally and completely unecessary. If I could I would take it back but I obviously can't so I just hope that you'll be able to forgive me and forget about it one day." said Spencer in pretty much one breath and stepped back.

Ashley was at a loss for words.

_Did she really just apologize? For a deserved slap? _

„No, uh, it's fine. You were right. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have called you a bitch.."

Spencer couldn't hold back the snort and it made Ashley's lips twitch upward slightly.

„Yea, you shouldn't have. I'm your teacher after all." the blonde smiled and the sigh that wanted to escape her lips got caught in her throat as Ashley was suddenly very close to her, noses almost touching.

The brunette gently adjusted the collar of the Spencer's button-up shirt, and with a ghost of a smile she whispered ever so softly into her teacher's ear.

„Sometimes I really wish you weren't."

Spencer's eyes fluttered closed and half a second later the warmth of the brunette was gone and so was she herself.

Leaning on her desk - more for support to stand than anything - Spencer finally let that sigh out, long and hard.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

At first, it is a Saturday night thing.

You're relaxed, no one to bother you in the middle of your bedroom floor, feeling satisfied as hell.

And then you start doing it on Sunday, sometimes twice, because why not.

Then maybe if there is enough time to do so, Monday comes into the picture as well.

It makes the bad thoughts go away, it makes them all go away.

You keep telling yourself that it is_ okay_, because _it makes_ them go away.

And then you're up ad at 'em every single day at 5 a.m sharp because that is when you 'deal'. Running down your street and catching your breath after the first corner. It's worth the lack of oxygen, getting your dose worth losing your breath, not realizing how easily you're losing yourself as well in the process.

And you do not wait until Saturday anymore.

You _can't_ wait until Saturday anymore.

Waiting for bliss to come, sprawling out completely out of it on your bed after your little 'trip' becomes a routine.

An every day routine.

Ashley slightly turned her head towards the direction of her nightstand where the clock showed

03:07, though she was not quite sure because most of it was just a huge blur.

She chuckled a bit, though there really was no reason why. It just escaped her mouth before her eyes rolled back into her head and she lost it completely.

„_Ashley! Oh, no no no no..no, you shouldn't be here, what-how, my God how the hell did they find you?" stuttered Raife, half whispering, half yelling before holding his palms to his mouth, trying to hold back the whimper that wanted to leave his throat with the tears that wanted to fall so badly from his eyes. _

_His daughter was thrown into the room with a split lip and a black eye, hands tied tightly together behind her back. She wasn't out completely yet, but she was getting there. Her father's heart was breaking at the sight of her._

_He scooted over to the brunette and put his forehead against hers. _

„_I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Don't worry, Princess. I am going to get you out of here and we will buy that house you always talk about, with the huge swimming pool in the backyard, okay? Answer me, Princess." _

_Ashley let out a whimper that was mixed with a slight groan. _

„_Okay, Daddy." _

_And then her eyes closed as unconsciousness washed over her. _

When the brunette opened her eyes again, she found the room that she was in unfamiliar.

It was all too tidy to be her room.

„I was beginning to worry you wouldn't wake up. I was just about to call an ambulance."

„Chelsea?" Ashley whispered groggily.

„What the hell is wrong with you, Ashley? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" screamed the tiny black girl with so much irritation in her voice, that if you didn't know her, you would never hear the real emotions behind it. There was concern, sadness and a small quiever that meant she was scared.

The brunette scoffed at the last sentence.

„Why am I in your room?"

„I went over to your place to talk last night. I tried calling you but it turns out that your number now belongs to some guy called Peter Green." Chelsea started to ramble and pace the room in the process.

„I tried ringing your doorbell like a thousand times, knocked, nothing. Your car was in the driveway and there was light coming from your window so I assumed you were home and just wanted me to get lost, again. I decided to use the key you gave me last year and let myself in. Turns out it was not the fact that you didn't want me around and acted like you didn't hear me at all, but you were out cold on your bed. In your own vomit, might I add."

Ashley cringed at her former best friends words.

She didn't want anyone to see her like that.

„I'm going to go" the brunette stated, standing up from the couch she was laying in a minute prior.

Grabbing her throbbing head she fell back on it.

„Yea, I don't think so." Chelsea comfirmed with a nod as Ashley slapped a hand over her mouth.

The brunette was lucky that Chelsea thought ahead and placed a bucket beside the couch.

After emptying the content of her stomach – that wasn't much, she was mostly just heaving – Ashley dropped her head back on the hard pillow.

„Your pillow is so not comfortable." the brunette tried easing the mood, but was only met with a cold glare from Chelsea.

„Speak, Ashley. Tell me what the hell is going on or I am sure as hell calling the cops and the hospital to take you to rehab. You don't think that I don't see you popping pill after pill into your mouth ALL day long at school, do you? I am not stupid, Ashley, so speak up. Please."

Chelsea's voice softened when she whispered the last word but she still held her cell phone in her hand firmly.

„Chels.. it's not as simple as you think." the brunette started and Chelsea started dialing. „Okay, stop it!" Ashley waved her off and the other girl raised a brow towards her.

„Well, I am sure that you have noticed how my father is not around very much anymore." Ashley pushed herself up a bit on the couch as she sipped on the hot tea that Chelsea brought her earlier.

„Yes, I have." Chelsea nodded. „Where did he disappear to?"

„He died."

Chelsea's eyes widened for a moment, before nodding again, this time slowly, trying to take in this information.

„W-what happened to him?"

„He was killed after several months of interrogation in Somalia."

„What? What are you talking about?"

„He joined the Army shortly after Mom had left. He was spying on the leader of the most dangerous religious sect in Somalia and got caught as he was trying to place wires all around his encamptment."

Chelsea was speechless. She set the phone down on the table that was placed in between them.

„I.. thought he was on a business trip. Nothing to worry about in the whole wide world, the only I had to pay attention to were my grades in school. That wasn't too hard either, with my photographic memory and all." Ashley sighed. She knew the next part was the one that changed her life forever.

„So I decided to surprise him on his trip and took a flight to DC, because this is where he said he was going. Turned out after I got to the hotel he mentioned that nobody even heard of a Raife Davies, let alone met him or had him checked in a week prior."

„So where was he?" Chelsea chimed in but then waved at her best friend to just continue.

„I wasn't the only one looking for him there.. I don't remember much, just the excruciating pain that rushed from the back of my head throughout my whole body. And then when I awake, I found myself in a dark room with only a small ray of sunshine seeping through a hole."

Ashley gulped and Chelsea was right there next to her, catching her trembling hand, sqeezing it hard with reassurance.

„They kept asking questions that I didn't know the answers to. They kept hitthing me.."

„_Okay, sweetheart, if you try to act all tough then that is what we're going to do. We're all gonna act tough, eh?!" the tall man with a mask covering his face shouted and the other three lifted their arms in the air, screaming right back, agreeing. _

„_How many of you are out there? We already caught two of you, now, we are going to figure everything out by ourselves in a short amount of time anyway, but I'd rather hear it all from you, darling. I am offering you a choice, here. The question is, do you want to die with just a bullet flyig through your pretty little head -quick and painless, might I add - or you enjoy being tortured?" he spat and slapped the brunette hard, getting his point across._

_Ashley felt blood seeping thorugh her lips and stream down her chin. She shook her head._

„_Please, let me go..I don't," she sniffed loudly, blood and tears mixing on her face. _

_There was another slap before the man who was speaking to her before waved to the one standing in the left corner of the room. _

„_Take care of her," he glanced back at Ashley for a brief second and murmured „We'll see what she'll have to say after you're done." _

„_But chief, she's too young to be a spy, nah? I mean, look at her, she's like, what, 17?"_

„_It seems they begin their trainings young these days. Don't try and think your way aroud here, just do your job, dumbass." _

_Ashley shut her eyes closed as she was ripped of her clothes and she felt steel cut into her flesh._

„Jesus Christ.." Chelsea whispered as the brunette broke down and fell into her, her whole body shaking. „Shh.. I'm here, it's okay."

Ashley shook her head, she wasn't crying. She was hard as a stone again as she pulled away from Chelsea.

„It's not okay." she ran her fingers through her brown locks and looked up at her friend.

„You shouldn't know about this. No one should. I'm trouble, simple and pure trouble to anyone near me, Chelsea. I can't have you as my friend again, I can't put you in danger."

„So this is why you stopped talking to me. You think that it's dangerous?"Chelsea scoffed. „I am your best friend, Ashley. I am not leaving you. I don't care how much trouble that means."

Chelsea's words sounded genuine. What she didn't know was that this was no joke. They are out to get her. They're looking for her because they know that she made it. She is alive to tell all about it. They will not let that happen, and she knew that.

„No," she breathed. „We can't be friends anymore. I do not want you to be seen with me. End of discussion."

Chelsea started to laugh.

„What's wrong with you?" Ashley asked, genuinely concerned for her best friends mental health.

„You are hilarious, Ashley Davies."

„What are you talking about?" the brunette was thoroughly confused.

„You do not want me to be seen with you, huh? That is hilarious." Chelsea stood and started to pace.

„I am a big girl, I know how to take care of myself AND my friends, so can you just for a moment stop being so arrogant and listen to me? . .friend. And I am so not leaving. Have you gone to the police with this?"

It was Ashley's turn to laugh.

„They can't do shit about this. The police. Hah." The last part was murmured under the brunette's breath with so much cynism that it made Chelsea cringe a little.

„Look, I may not know what this hell is all about, but I know that I want to be next to you, because these days it seems to me that _you _trying to kill yourself is a bigger issue. And I can actually do something about that, so please let me help you."

„I need the pills, Chels." Ashley whispered into the mug while takig a síp of tea again.

„No, you don't."

Ashley got up from the couch and looked Chelsea square in the eye before seething through her teeth.

„Like you said, you don't know what this hell is all about. You know absolutely nothing. So stop acting like you do."

And with that she made her way to the front door, shutting it behind herself, leaving the shelter of her best friends house, driving down the road faster than usual, practically kicking her door in, searching through her drawer for another kick.

She gulps down the pills easily and lays on her bed, waiting for ignorance to come.

School next day seemed to arrive sooner than Ashley would've anticipated. She groaned as her favorite coffee place had a 'closed' sign on its door and made her way hurriedly to history, with her sunglasses intact, though it was quite a cloudy day to be wearing them.

She was already late and she knew Spencer will not like this fact.

„I'm sorry I'm late, Teach. Got held up." she stormed into the classroom and sat down at the back as usual.

Spencer raised an eyebrow at the sight of the brunette. She looked like a mess. She put her pen down before answering.

„Can you see me after your classes are over today, Miss Davies? There is something I wat to talk to you about."

Ashley looked up surprised, taking off her sunglasses. „Sure?"

„Fantastic." the blonde smiled, tight-lipped, which the brunette did not miss.

She felt like she was somehow in trouble. She just shook her head and placed it back down on the desk, trying hard to fall asleep, but as usual, kingdom never came.

At the end of the day Ashley was packing up her stuff – that only consisted of a ripped messenger bag that held a history book and a pen – when Chelsea marged up to her, getting in her face. Everyone was already out of the classroom so she felt free to kind of yell at her best friend.

„Well then tell me, Ashley! Why are you taking drugs?!"

Ashley felt her hands ball up into fists as anger boiled in her veins. Neither of them noticed Ms Carlin walking in and taking a seat, waiting for Ashley.

„Because I can't sleep, okay?! Because I can't walk down the street without having to look behind my back at least 15 times in 3 minutes, because I am paranoid that someone will take me back to that I can feel all of that every single day on my skin, my brain literally hurts from all the details of that dirty room I was in. Because I have a stupid photographic memory so I remember every single word and every single cockroach and rat. Because I can still _feel_ every single cut, Chelsea! And it makes it all stop, okay?! It makes them all go away." the brunette yelled back, before her eyes darted to the blonde sitting at the teacher's desk.

Her heart sank as her eyes met confused blue ones.

Spencer's mouth was slightly ajar from all the sudden information. Needless to say she was confused as hell but some things seemed to come together in her head as well.

Ashley grabbed her bag, passing Chelsea, bumping her shoulder in the process.

„Ashley!" Spencer called after her but the brunette was already out the door.

„What was that all about?" she questioned Chelsea who was standing there with her shoulders slumped and an ashamed expression plastering on her face.

„Ms Carlin, I.. Ashley's in danger."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello People! So let's play a little game, shall we? I'd like to know your thoughts on the story (of course) AND ALSO, it will be up to your imagination how you want it to continue from here. I will use some of your ideas to go on with the story(if I'll get any, that is). If you'd like to share your thoughts, hit the review section. **

**Also, apologies for any mistakes, my keyboard is being a bitch, I should probably clean it. Yeah..**

** (The 'sexual content' part of Rated M will come into play in this chapter, so beware.)**

**Chapter 8**

„_Did she say anything?" _

„_No" _

„_No?"_

„_Nothing at all, Chief." _

„_Did you go gentle on her or something?" he spat, pushing the other man out of the way and entering the room the brunette was kept in._

„_Why, good morning, Miss Davies" _

_Ashley snapped her head up at the mention of her name and fear crept into her heart more if that was even possible._

„_Han here says that you're being very quiet. You see, this is not why we are here for. We want you to sing like a good little birdie." he grabbed her face and pulled it close to his own, speaking with gritted teeth. _

„_You and your father are very hard to break, but you know I always loved a little challange. A bit of..fun, if you will." he smirked and pushed the brunette's face away agressively._

„_Your daddy's not going to be breathing for much longer so I decided to be noble and put you two together for the time being. See, he's being interrogated at the moment, probably for the last time," he chuckled there and then as if waving himself off, he continued. „but after that you'll be able to get reunited." he stepped closer to his bleeding prisoner and smiled down at her. _

„_Red looks good on you" he said with a glint in his eye. He was insane, of that Ashley was completely sure of. But she wasn't scared anymore. All she could feel was hate, anger and the strength building up inside of her for revange._

_She whimpered into the dirt underneath her lips and it flew around a bit before settling on the ground again. She never took herself a religious person. She had to scoff at the thought, really. But there was nothing she could hold onto and she rememered a small prayer that was thaught to her by her father when she was a child. _

_It hurt everywhere. She did not move around in the dirt because she didn't want to get her open wounds to get more infected then they already were. Her silent cries of pain got lost on the walls of the tiny room. The brunette felt a single tear roll down her cheeks as she started to mumble slowly, raggedly.._

„_Now I lay me down to sleep,_

_I pray the Lord my soul to keep_

_If I shall die before I wake_

_I pray the Lord my soul to take."_

_Ashley was grabbed and carried out of the room but soon got thrown into another. She looked around and saw his father lying face down in the dirt, bleeding out slowly but surely in front of her. _

_She held onto him until his last breath. Right up until the moment the door got kicked down and soldiers came rushing in. She was grabbed again, this time 'You're going to be alright' s and 'The Doc's going to take care of you's were flying through the hot Somalian air as she was laid on a bed that smelled like Kodan and was rushed into a helicopter. Her eyes closed soon after that and she let sleep or whatever was to come wash over her._

„What do you mean she's in danger?" the blonde asked, her genuine concern not lost on Chelsea. She smiled weakly, knowing Ashley would hate her for this, but Ms Carlin seemed to honestly care about her and that was more than enough for Chelsea to tell her everything. This was for Ashley's good, she thought. '_I'll deal with her hating me later, after she's clean.'_

Spencer stopped breathing for what she thought was a whole 5 minutes while Chelsea spilled the beans.

She couldn't believe it. Spencer felt a kind of tugging on her heart. All of Chelsea's words were tearing it apart.

„Thank you for telling me," she grabbed her newly rented car keys and nodded at the small black girl. „Go home, get some rest. I'm going to go and check on her."

„Ms Carlin.." she lifted her arm to stop her but then let it fall back beside her. „I just.."

Spencer turned back and put her hand on her left shoulder. „I'll do everything I can, okay?"

Chelsea nodded and with that Spencer left the classroom and was soon on the way to the brunette's house. Ringing the doorbell 5 times in a row she started tapping her foot on the doormat that read 'Welcome'.

A highly agitated Ashley opened the door, squinting her eyes a little before trying to shut the door in her teacher's face.

Spencer stepped in before she could do that and shot the brunette a look, so she let go of the door, walking back inside her house.

„What are you here for? Did I not do my homework?" Ashley spat her words with as much venom as she could muster. She was just about to shoot herself up with her daily dose. Though somehow the presence of the blonde made her not crave it as much anymore. Spencer had a relaxing effect on her and she liked that, but never for the world would she admit that to her.

„I came to talk, Ashley."

„About?" the brunette was fidgeting around, trying to avoid the shaking of her hands.

These signs of desperation were not lost on Spencer and she walked past Ashley with no hesitation, entering her bedroom.

The brunette followed her quickly and grabbed her arm, turning her back, but it was too late.

Spencer was holding up the syringe she left unattended while answering the door. Its content was obvious to the both of them, of course.

The brunette took a deep breath, hanging her head for a second before snapping it back up.

„Put that down and leave." she said, in a low voice.

„No. I am not going to let you do this to yourself, do you understand me?" Spencer said, her voice calm but severe.

„What is it with everyone these days, getting all up in my business?! Don't you have a husband to go home to or something? Just leave me alone, Goddammit!" the brunette raised her voice and threw her arms up in the air as if giving up. She just wanted to forget.

„As a matter of fact, no, I do not have a husband waiting for me at home. But I do have a student destroying herself right in front of me, and I cannot let that happen, so here I am."

„I didn't ask you to be here" Ashley whispered, backing away from the blonde slowly, shaking her head, tired of it all.

„I know. But I want to be." the blonde said, mathcing Ashley's tone.

„I can't, I.." the brunette whimpered as she stopped moving in the middle of the room, her head buried in her palms.

Spencer slowly approached her, putting the object she was holding securely into her purse, knowing that the brunette couldn't see the swift disappearance of the substance she was about to shoot herself up with.

The blonde timidly touched Ashley's shoulder, more or less for some kind of comfort, though she knew it might never be enough with what Ashley's been through.

To her biggest surprise, the brunette fell into her, arms were tightly around her waist and Ashley's face in the crook of her neck.

„I can't do this anymore, Spencer" she whispered into the blonde's neck, her voice broken and raspier than Spencer had ever heard it be.

„Can't do what?" she whispered back, afraid she might unsettle the slight peace that talking in a hushed voice had created.

Ashley pulled away slightly, just enough to look at Spencer. Their noses bumpbed and before the blonde could realize what was happening, Ashley's lips were on hers, tounge sweeping her bottom lip, and she granted access right away, without so much as thinking twice.

Before she knew it she was pushed up agains the wall, lips now devouring her neck, biting and then soothing it with a simple lick of a tounge.

She couldn't help the moan that escaped her, and she couldn't help the brunette's name following right after, urging Ashley on.

„_Good to have you back, Miss Davies" said a cheery voice from somewhere around the room as the brunette slowly opened her tired eyes. Everythig seemed _very _wight._

„_You've been out for a couple of days but you seem to recover quickly regarding the circumstances."_

„_Who are you?" she asked, her throat sore. _

„_Oh, I apologize. My name is Seargent Cartwright. Andrew, for short." he smiled at the brunette and Ashley tried everything, pulled every string in herself to smile back but she had no luck. _

_Then another ma walked in. He was much taller than the other and more muscular, too. Veins were showing on his neck and his whole arm. Ashley was somewhat disgusted, but she wasn't strong enough to even judge his appearance in her head. She would probably joke about how this is one of the reasons why she's more into girls than men. _

„_Well, well. Awake, are we?" the big man waved at the slender one to leave. _

„_My name is Morgan. I'll be helpig with your recovery and your training afterwards. We will see each other very often so I say we leave introductions and 'what's you favorite colour?' to later days, shall we."_

„_What training?" Ashley's voice came out weak and even the man was a bit taken aback by it. _

„_That you have asked for the day we rescued you. We made a deal and I am sure as hell keeping myself to it, because your father was a good man and also my very close friend, so revenge sounds so very inviting to my ears as well that I will help you find the strenght to have it." _

_Ashley cringed at his words and then she sqeezed her hand into a ball, her newfound anger seeping through her veins. _

_Her father was dead. _

Ashley got rid of Spencer's halter top quicker than she ever imagined she would be able to and started fumbling with the buttons on her jeans, keeping the blonde as close as possible, kissing her way down her neck and chest.

_The recovery took another month before Ashley was able to start her training. Morgan had thaught her the academic knowledge of tactics he thought would be useful for the small brunette to know. _

_Ashley didn't go back to LA or school for that matter. She didn't care at all about her grades anymore._

_Her father was dead._

_She'd read every martial art book possible and with all the tactics firmly in her head and her physical training keeping her fit, learning how to use it turned out to be easier than she thought. It felt like she was born for this. _

_She kept her knee strong against Morgan's neck with a truimphal smirk intact as the man was gasping for air. _

„_Enough, Davies! You're suffocating me!" he yowled and the brunette had a fire burning in her eyes. In front of her the tall man and in her ears the words ringing 'Red looks good on you', all she wanted to do was snap his neck. „D-Davies" Ashley let go quickly. _

She entered the blonde hard, biting down her collarbone as Spencer cried out from pleasure mixing with pain. She frowned a bit at the sound and started up a slower pace, pumping into the blonde underneath her as if her life depended on it. Her lips found their way back to Spencer's and she kissed her again, roughly, biting her lip, making it bleed and Spencer whimper.

„Ashley" Spencer moaned, being too weak to pull away, though knowing this was all wrong. She hoped Ashley would understad without actually having to say it, because she knew she wouldn't be able to.

„Shut up, Teach" the brunette shot back, re-claiming her mouth, pushing deeper inside the blonde, making a point.

„_Kill it, Davies." Morgan stated calmly. No, he wasn't asking. _

_In front of her a pig, in her hand a combat knife._

_The only thing she remembered that it was really hot that day and the smell of blood got around quicker in the thick, warm air. _

_Her father was dead._

„Ashley, stop" Spencer whimpered as the brunette was claiming her. Every part of her.

„I can't" came the curt answer as the brunette added a third finger and sucked on Spencer's pulse point.

Spencer's body was shaken with ecstasy as she fell over the edge. The edge that Ashley pushed her over. She felt everything rushing back to her as the brunette rolled off from on top of her. Spencer's ears started to buzz as blood rushed up to her brain.

She felt guilt wash over her with shame holding onto it very tightly. This is not what she came here for. She should be helping her, not screwing her.

Her mind rambled off, shouting obscenities at her for being so stupid and reckless before it all stopped suddenly as fingers filled the spaces between her owns.

Ashley turned to face the blonde and she gently nuzzled into her neck, whispering gently into it,

„I need you"


End file.

South of Nowhere, Angst, Romance