Cooties (F, cold)-- South of Nowhere futurefic - (10 Parts)

[wannablessedbe]

Hey peeps!

So this was originally a drabble, but some people thought it ought to be a little longer…so here it is, in its own story thread! I am re-posting the original drabble here as part 1, for those who haven’t seen it; part 2 is directly below, in a separate post. Enjoy!

Cooties

A South of Nowhere Story (Futurefic)

Chapter 1

By WannaBlessedBe

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Spencer was pleasantly surprised to see Ashley’s car in the driveway when she pulled in; the dark-haired girl had been at the studio past eleven every night this week, pushing to get her new album done before Spencer’s due date. Maybe it’s finished, Spencer thought happily as she hoisted herself awkwardly out of the car, one hand on her swollen belly. Maybe she came home early to surprise me with a fancy dinner or something…

But to her surprise, when she got inside she found the house dark. “Ash?” She called tentatively, but got no response. She wandered from room to room, until the found the other girl fast asleep on the couch in her music room. “Hey,” she said gently, nudging Ashley lightly in the shoulder as she lowered herself slowly onto the couch beside her wife’s sleeping body. “What are you doing in here, goof?”

“Oh…” Ashley yawned hugely, rubbed her eyes, and blinked. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself.” Spencer reached out and ran a hand through Ashley’s hair.

“They sent me home early…” Ashley trailed of, then shuddered and turned away from Spencer on the couch. “Ahh-tshhew! …*sniffff*…” She sighed wearily and leaned against the couch cushions, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

“I think I can guess why,” Spencer teased, smiling sympathetically. “Poor baby, c’mere…”

“No!” Ashley squeaked, shrinking back and pressing herself into the corner of the couch. “I don’t want you to catch it. That’s why I’m sleeping in here, and…*sniff*…not our bed…*sniff, sniff*…hehh-tchiiew!” She turned away from Spencer when she sneezed again, then pulled a crumpled tissue from her pocket and blew her nose.

“Are you insane?” Spencer laughed and shook her head. “Go get in bed, right now! And I’ll bring you some nice hot soup, okay baby?”

“Uh-uh,” Ashley shook her head stubbornly, looking like she was fighting another sneeze, with her eyes falling almost shut and her mouth half-open. Spencer waited, not wanting to argue when Ashley was so clearly distracted by her itchy nose; but a moment later, it seemed to pass, and the dark-haired girl just sighed unhappily, and rubbed her nose on her arm with a long, wet sniffle. “I’b dot gettig you sick, too, okay? Get outta here, before you cadtch by cooties!”

“Ashley Carlin-Davies, you have completely lost your mind if you think I’m just gonna leave you here like this. Why are you acting mental?” Spencer demanded, completely bewildered by Ashley’s strange behavior.

“You’re…huhhh…” The dark-haired girl trailed off again as her breath swelled, quickly cupping her hands to her face as her eyes fell shut, and her shoulders snapped forward. “Huhh-chiiew! …*sniff*…” She wiped her nose awkwardly on the used-up tissue in her hand. “You’re eight and a half months pregnant, Spencer. You do not need to get sick right now. Please, I’m too tired to argue with you…” Ashley groaned and put her head in her hands.

“Then don’t.” Spencer cocked her head, a small smile tugging the edge of her lips as she reached out and rubbed the back of Ashley’s neck. Ashley sighed and closed her eyes. “Honey, it’s really sweet how you want to protect me and the baby from everything…but I’m gonna have to draw the line, here. You’re sick, and I’m taking care of you, and that’s the end of it.” She leaned in and kissed Ashley’s forehead.

“Stubborn,” Ashley mumbled, as she finally stopped resisting, and dropped her head onto Spencer’s shoulder.

“Look who’s talking,” Spencer snickered, and kissed her temple.

[wannablessedbe]

Cooties

Chapter 2

By WannaBlessedBe

………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Okay, c’mon my little rock star. You need some cold medicine, and a nice hot bath.” Spencer dragged Ashley off the couch and down the hall, ignoring her feeble protests.

“Spence, I can give myself a bath, you know,” she grumbled hoarsely, making no real effort to pull away. “You shouldn’t be on your feet so much, and I know you must be tired, too.”

“Yeah, I am,” Spencer admitted, still smiling as she pulled Ashley into the bathroom, and sat her on the edge of the tub. “But you’re sick and tired, and that counts double. Stop making such a fuss, will you?” Ashley opened her mouth to argue the point, but before she got a word out, Spencer tipped a cup of cold medicine down her throat.

“Hey!” Ashley coughed, scowling petulantly up at her smirking wife, who was now filling the tub with hot water and adding bubble bath. “That was so not necessary, you cheater. And as long as we’re counting who’s more tired, you’re carrying another human being inside your body! You should be saving your strength, and you know it. You’ve only got a couple of weeks left to relax.” Ashley reached out and rubbed Spencer’s swollen stomach. A tiny thump pressed back against her hand. “See…*sniff*…the baby agrees with me.”

“She does not,” Spencer shook her head stubbornly, dipping her hand into the bath water to test it. “She’s telling you to relax and listen to me.”

“Oh, is that what she’s saying?” Ashley cocked her head at Spencer’s no-nonsense expression, and gave her a goofy, nose-crinkling grin, the kind that always made blonde girl melt.

“Uh-huh,” Spencer nodded, a hundred-watt smile spreading over her own face. She leaned in for a kiss, but Ashley jerked back.

“Cooties?” She reminded her now pouting wife, feeling a slight pang of guilt as Spencer stared down at the floor like she might start crying—always a possibility when dealing with a pregnant woman, and one that Ashley had become fairly expert in.

“Aww, baby, don’t be like that,” Ashley murmured, tucking a lock of blonde hair back and kissing Spencer’s temple. “I love how you take care of me, you know that. I won’t fight you, okay? I just…*sniffff*…” She paused to wipe her nose on her sleeve. “I really don’t want you to catch this cold two weeks before you’re gonna have our baby.”

“Yeah, okay…you’re right,” Spencer sighed, finally looking up and rubbing her eyes hastily, though Ashley could still see the brightness of a few tear tracks on her cheeks. “It’s just…it felt like you didn’t want to kiss me…”

“Hey.” Ashley smiled and tilted Spencer’s chin up, holding her face in both hands. “I always want to kiss you, Spence, and you damn well know it. I’m trying to be noble, here.” She leaned in and kissed Spencer’s forehead.

“My knight in shining armor,” Spencer said wryly, though the sideways grin on her face said that all was forgiven. Ashley grinned back, then quickly ducked her head into her hands.

“Hehh-tshiiew! …*sniff, sniff*…”

“Bless you, honey. Now will you please get naked and get in the bath?”

“Aren’t you gonna get in with me?” Ashley asked, her own pout emerging in full force, with an extra-pitiful sniffle thrown in as she wiped her nose on her hand.

“Ash, you know I’d love to…but if I get in the tub now, I’ll be asleep in half an hour, and then you’ll be all alone for the rest of the night. Besides, I’m starving, and we both need to eat. So just have a nice hot soak, and I’ll call for some take-out…then we can spend the rest of the night snuggling on the couch and watching trashy lesbian romance movies. Okay?”

“Okay,” Ashley reluctantly agreed. It did feel good to climb into the hot bath, and she almost fell asleep herself a couple of times. After the second time, she decided to drag herself out before she drowned; when she dried off and got back to the bedroom, she found that Spencer had left out her favorite comfy pj’s—a faded waffle shirt and a pair of soft flannel plaid bottoms. She smiled as she pulled them on, and headed downstairs, where Spencer’s voice was echoing from the living room.

“I know Mom, I’m sorry I forgot to call,” Spencer was saying. Ashley leaned against the doorway, watching her silently with a sleepy smile. “Ashley’s a little under the weather, and she came home early, so…yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t freak, we’re fine…yes, as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what she said.” Ashley could have stood there watching Spencer for a lot longer, if not for the sniffle that made the blonde girl look up at her and smile.

“Hey,” Ashley waved sheepishly, crossing the room to flop down beside her on the couch. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes fell half-closed; Spencer handed her Kleenex from the coffee table wordlessly. “Tha…ahh-shiiew! …*sniff*…thadk you,” she croaked, pulling one out to blow her nose.

“Mom, I gotta go. Yes, I’ll tell her…okay! Goodnight.” Spencer rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone. Ashley raised one eyebrow questioningly. “My mom says feel better, and don’t sneeze on me.” They both laughed for a minute, until Ashley started to cough. Spencer reached over her round belly awkwardly, to grab the mug of tea that was steaming gently on the coffee table. “Here you go, baby,” she cooed, passing it carefully over to the dark-haired girl beside her. Ashley took a small sip, and sighed.

“Thadks,” she sniffed again, taking another small sip before putting it down.

“I got you miso soup and those soba noodles you like,” Spencer smiled gently, pointing to the Japanese take-out strewn across the coffee table in front of them.

“Yeah…maybe later,” Ashley yawned, curling up against Spencer’s side with one arm wrapped around her protruding stomach, rubbing her popped-out bellybutton absently.

“You’ll be asleep later,” Spencer pointed out, threading her fingers through Ashley’s damp hair.

“Yeah, well…then I’ll…*sniff*…I’ll have it tomorrow…*sniff*…” She pulled her hand back from Spencer’s stomach to rub her nose, hastily sitting up and turning away from her wife. “Huhh-tshiiew! Ashhiew! …*sniff, sniff*…”

“Bless you, baby,” Spencer cooed, reaching out to rub Ashley’s back while she blew her nose wearily.

“This blows,” Ashley whined, throwing her tissue down in her lap as her eyes suddenly filled with tears. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to be! I’m supposed to be taking care of you right now! We’re supposed to be focusing on the baby, and making sure we’re ready, and…*sniffff*…” She quickly pulled another tissue from the box, and pinched it around her running nose. “And…”

“Ssh, baby,” Spencer whispered, closing the space between them as she reached out and slipped her hand under Ashley’s shirt, rubbing her warm back in soothing circles. “It’s okay, Ash. It’s really okay…”

“Doe id’s dot,” Ashley sniffled miserably. “Hehh-ishhiew!” She started to shiver, and blew her nose feebly into the tissue still wadded in her hand.

“Aww, my poor baby,” Spencer murmured, still rubbing Ashley’s back as she leaned in to kiss her forehead. “You’re getting a fever, sweetie…that’s why you’re feeling so emotional. Please don’t beat yourself up anymore, okay? It’s not your fault you caught a cold at a bad time, and it’s not going to ruin anything. Promise.” Spencer ran her hand through Ashley’s hair as she spoke, kissing away her tears.

“How can you promise that?” Ashley asked petulantly, finally looking up at Spencer with teary eyes.

“Cause of my magic powers.” Spencer wiggled her eyebrows, and Ashley giggled, a reluctant smile emerging on her face. “Anyway, just think of it as practice…I’m sure we’ll have plenty of chances for this little one to get sick and ruin our plans at least once or twice in the next eighteen years…” They smiled goofily at each other for a minute without speaking. Then Ashley leaned down and kissed Spencer’s stomach.

“Okay…give me my soba noodles.”

[weevill25]

GAH!!! THIS IS EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!! MORE MORE MORE MORE!!! but seriously, you write so amazingly well - you capture ashley and spencer so perfectly!!

[White Rose]

omg!

again, I agree with weevill!

this is SOOOO cute!!!!

MORE!

[Miss.A.Tishoo]

I've been checking back every few hours just for this fic! Absolutely love it, thank you - hope it's as much fun to write as it is to read

[tFM!]

Thank you so much for writing this! It's so insanely amazingly awesome ! More? Please?

[musiclover90]

What a great story, you're very good. Please keep going!

[~~~]

I love it hun. You've outdone yourself =].

[something-instinctual]

More, please! That was fabulous

[SneezeDoc4u]

great story keep going

[wannablessedbe]

hey peeps!

well thank you all so much for all your wicked awesome feedback, as always! I never get tired of it and yes, it IS as much fun to write as it is to read-- maybe even more...

enjoy the next chap!

Cooties

Chapter 3

By WannaBlessedBe

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

It was still dark when Ashley woke up coughing. Groggy and annoyed, she stumbled out of bed before she was really awake, anxious not to wake Spencer, too. She was shivering by the time she got to the hallway, as the cool night air hit her sweaty skin, and the itch in the back of her throat doubled her over with another round of deep, rattling coughs. “Fucking hell,” she grumbled when she finally caught her breath, making her way slowly downstairs to the couch. She swallowed another dose of the cold medicine still lying out on the coffee table, and wrapped herself up in the afghan, shaking with fever chills. “This suuuucks,” she sighed, flipping on the TV for company. She’d been lying there for maybe ten minutes, when Spencer appeared in the doorway, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

“Can’t sleep, baby?” the blonde girl murmured, sounding barely awake herself, as she sat down on the edge of the couch and reached out a hand to feel Ashley’s damp forehead. “Oh, sweetie…you’re so hot.”

“I just took some more of that stuff,” Ashley croaked, gesturing vaguely to the coffee table. “But I’m…*sniff*…too shivery to go back to sleep…” She curled up tighter as a fresh round of coughing rattled her weary body.

“Shh…it’s okay baby,” Spencer cooed, slipping her hand under the blankets to rub Ashley’s back. “I’m right here…”

“I’m sorry, Spence,” Ashley whimpered, pressing her face into Spencer’s stomach with a muffled sob. “I didn’t want to wake you up…”

“Stop it,” Spencer said firmly, running a hand through the damp hair at the back of Ashley’s neck. “You didn’t wake me up, Ash; and even if you had, I want to be awake when you’re awake. I don’t ever want you to suffer by yourself, and that doesn’t change just because I’m pregnant.” She leaned down and kissed the dark-haired girl’s damp forehead.

“Okay,” Ashley sniffled, snuggling a little deeper into Spencer’s lap, or what was left of it. “Thadks.”

“You don’t have to thank me, silly. I love you.”

“Yeah…*sniff*…I had a…a feeling…hehh-tchiiew!” Ashley cupped a hand to her face to cover her sneeze, but Spencer’s pajama-covered leg still got most of it. “Ughh…sorry.”

“It’s okay, baby.” Spencer ruffled Ashley’s damp hair and kissed the top of her head. “Lemme get up, and I’ll get you some tissues…I can’t quite reach from here.” Reluctantly, Ashley let Spencer up, and curled up against the couch cushions instead.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Ashley whined, when Spencer handed her the box of Kleenex without returning to her spot on the couch.

“Just to the kitchen. You need some tea, and the baby and I need a midnight snack.” The blonde girl smiled gently, one hand rubbing her swollen belly absently. Ashley couldn’t help but smile back.

“Oh…okay.”

When Spencer came back to the couch a few minutes later, Ashley was half-sitting up, an adorably hazy expression on her face as she held a tissue in midair with both hands. She took a deep breath, and her eyes almost closed; then she sighed and let it out, with a low groan of frustration.

“Aww!” Spencer bit her lip to stop herself from giggling at Ashley’s comically miserable expression. “Have you got a tickle in your little nose, sweetie?”

“Uhh…uh-huh,” Ashley mumbled, her eyes finally falling shut as her pink nose began to run, and she pressed the tissue back up to her flaring nostrils. “Hashhiew! …*sniff, sniff*…Hehh-tshiiew!”

“Bless you, baby.” Spencer sat down on the couch, hastily putting aside the tray she was carrying so she couch rub Ashley’s back.

“Thadk you,” Ashley sniffled, pulling another tissue from the box with her eyes still half-closed, and her nose still running. “Huhh…*snifffff*…huhhh-chiiew! Hechhiew! …*sniff, sniff*…”

“Aww, baby! God bless you.” Spencer leaned over and kissed Ashley’s temple. “Poor thing, you’ve got a really awful cold, huh?” Ashley just shrugged, and blew her nose wearily. “Here, I made you some nice hot peppermint tea, with extra honey…just how you like it.” Ashley took the tea wordlessly, managing a few small sips before she set it down on the coffee table, hastily cupping her hands back to her face.

“Ahh-tchiiew! …*sniff, sniff*…thadks, baby,” she croaked, rubbing a fresh tissue under her running nose with a sleepy sigh.

“You’re welcome,” Spencer murmured, planting another kiss on Ashley’s warm temple. “Do you want anything else, hon?”

“Uh-uh,” Ashley shook her head, leaning against Spencer’s shoulder with the blankets pulled up around her. “Just you.”

[ilovesneezing]

Squueeeee!!!! this is the cutest thing ever! I don't even know the fandom and I'm a melty mess keep it up!

[White Rose]

Awwww

This is so sweet!!! I love it as always!!

[musiclover90]

That was a great chapter, please keep going!

[weevill25]

GAH!! i want more more MORE i say!!!! this is so incredibly adorable!!! haha i just realized how it reminds me of me and maddie (my girlfriend).... if any of you have been reading the obs section about how i caught her cold you'll know what i mean.

but SERIOUSLY wannablessedbe, this is AMAZING!!! you must, absolutely must continue!!

[tFM!]

OMG. This last chapter is ridiculously cute.

[LovelyLinda]

Oww that's incredibly cute ;-)

Thanks for posting, please keep on writing!!

You could let him catch her cold, that would be soo sweet =)

[wannablessedbe]

Oww that's incredibly cute ;-)

Thanks for posting, please keep on writing!!

You could let him catch her cold, that would be soo sweet =)

umm...ok...is it possible that I need to clarify the fact that spencer & ashley are both girls? I know that traditionally, spencer is a boy's name; but if you re-read the story and pay real close attention, I think you'll notice some clues...like the fact that there are no male pronouns anywhere in this story...or maybe the fact that spencer is majorly pregnant?

sorry to be harsh, dear reader, but come on.

[weevill25]

Oww that's incredibly cute ;-)

Thanks for posting, please keep on writing!!

You could let him catch her cold, that would be soo sweet =)

umm...ok...is it possible that I need to clarify the fact that spencer & ashley are both girls? I know that traditionally, spencer is a boy's name; but if you re-read the story and pay real close attention, I think you'll notice some clues...like the fact that there are no male pronouns anywhere in this story...or maybe the fact that spencer is majorly pregnant?

sorry to be harsh, dear reader, but come on.

haha...i'm sorry, i just saw the above post and it made me giggle! hahahahah....wannablessedbe, you are so amazing...

i LOVE your avatar!! keep the story going please!!

o and in my experiences, i've actually met/seen/heard of more girl spencers than boy spencers.

[wannablessedbe]

Well thanx, Weevill! You really are too kind. For my new avatar, I must give a shout-out to my homegirl, Deadly Nightshade, who helped me do it! (Actually, it turned out to be pretty simple...but I wouldn't have known that if she hadn't explained it to me!)

Anyway, here's an update. Enjoy!

--WBB

Cooties

Chapter 4

By WannaBlessedBe

..........................................................................................

.......………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next time Ashley woke up, it was morning; and she was alone; and she was cranky. Very cranky. She didn’t want to get up, but she also didn’t want to stay in bed by herself. Grumbling, she crawled out of the blankets, shivering and coughing croakily. She pulled on her favorite old hoodie, that was actually Spencer’s; normally, one of Ashley’s favorite things about it was that it smelled like the blonde girl. It was also soft and faded and warm, and Ashley wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she stumbled groggily downstairs, toward the faint sounds of activity coming from the kitchen.

Spencer was standing over the stove, stirring something that was gently steaming in a large pot, and humming quietly to herself. Ashley didn’t say anything, but just shuffled up behind her and curled up against her back, burying her face in Spencer’s silky blonde hair.

“Heyyy,” Spencer hummed, her grin audible in her voice even before she turned around to take Ashley’s face in her hands. “How are you feeling today, sweetie-pie?”

“I hate everything,” Ashley grumbled hoarsely, dropping her head limply onto Spencer’s shoulder.

“Aww,” Spencer cooed, running her cool hands through Ashley’s messy hair and holding her as close as her swollen belly would allow. “Poor baby…I was hoping you’d feel a little better after a good night’s sleep.”

“Uh-uh,” Ashley sniffled, making no move to leave Spencer’s arms. “Will you come back to bed with me? I need Spencer-snuggles.”

“How about some snuggles on the couch…and I’ll feed you some nice, hot, homemade chicken soup.” Spencer smoothed Ashley’s hair back and kissed her temple.

“For breakfast?” Ashley asked dubiously, finally raising her head off Spencer’s shoulder.

“Ash, it’s past two.”

“Oh.” Ashley blinked, and rubbed her eyes blearily. “Yeah, ohh….okay…” she finally let go of Spencer as her breathing hitched, turning hastily away from her pregnant wife with the cuff of her sweatshirt pressed under her nose. “Huhh…hehhhh…huhh-shiiew! …*sniff*…”

“Bless you, babycakes.” Spencer rubbed Ashley’s back while she sniffled. “C’mon, you can barely even stand up. Let’s get you comfy on the couch, okay my sweet girl?” Spencer pushed Ashley toward the den, and Ashley didn’t resist, allowing Spencer to steer her to the couch and wrap her snugly in the afghan. “How’s that?” Spencer asked gently, running a hand through Ashley’s hair before lightly feeling her forehead.

“Bad,” Ashley sniffled. “No Spencer.” The look on Ashley’s face was so miserable, she didn’t even have to pout to get her point across. “Aren’t you gonna cuddle me?”

“Oh, Ash! Of course I am,” Spencer smiled sympathetically, leaning down and giving Ashley a lingering kiss on her warm forehead. “But first I need to get you some food, and some medicine, to help you feel better…I’ll be back in a minute, okay baby?” Ashley just scowled. “Here,” Spencer sighed, “take the remote. You can pick anything you want, and I’ll watch it with you, okay?”

“Even SpongeBob?” Ashley asked, one eyebrow going up a little mischievously.

“Yeah, sure, why not,” Spencer smirked, shaking her head. “Might as well get used to it, right?” A small grin broke over Ashley’s face.

“Thadks,” she sniffed, rubbing a finger under her nose. “Uhhh…*sniff, sniff*...” Spencer handed her the tissue box from the coffee table, but Ashley’s hands were already cupped to her face. “Ahhshiew! …Ahhh...ahh-tchiiew! ...*sniff*...”

“Bless you!” Spencer kissed the top of Ashley’s head while she blew her nose, and snuck out to get her supplies while the dark-haired girl was still occupied with her itchy nose, succumbing to several more irritated sneezes before she could turn on the TV. She was still pouting when Spencer came back a minute later, carrying a tray with soup, iced tea, and another cup of bright orange cold medicine.

“Do we have adythidg strodger thad this?” Ashley snuffled, poking the little cup.

“Like what?” Spencer asked bemusedly, setting the tray down on the coffee table so she could snuggle up to Ashley on the couch. Ashley blew her stuffy nose, and shrugged wearily.

“I was thinking of something in the morphine family,” she joked dully, “but really, anything would do...vicodin, codeine, percoset...”

“Very funny.” Spencer leaned down and kissed Ashley’s forehead, then handed her the cold medicine. “If I can’t have any of that crap during labor, then you’re sure as hell not getting it for your sniffles. Now swallow this, so you can start feeling better.” Ashley glowered a little, but did as she was told.

“I hate feeling this way,” she whimpered miserably, with a juicy cough into her elbow.

“I know, baby,” Spencer cooed, slipping her hand under Ashley’s shirt to rub her warm back. “I promise you’ll feel better soon. But please, right now I need you to eat a little something, okay?” Ashley didn’t say anything, but she sat up a little, and accepted the steaming soup bowl.

“Good?” Spencer asked anxiously, when Ashley had swallowed a few mouthfuls.

“Hard to say, I can’t really taste it,” Ashley shrugged listlessly. “But it feels good on my throat.” She took a few more spoonfuls, Spencer sitting quietly beside her and running her fingers through Ashley’s messy brown hair. After a few minutes, Ashley yawned and dropped her spoon back into the bowl.

“Had enough?”

“Yeah, I...*sniffff*...” With both hands holding the bowl of hot soup, Ashley couldn’t raise a hand to wipe her nose when it started to run. Spencer reached out to take it from her, saving them both from having hot soup spilled all over them when Ashley’s body snapped forward with a shuddering “Heshhiiew!”

“Bless you, sweetie.” Spencer handed Ashley a fresh tissue, which she took wordlessly, her eyebrows scrunched up in an expression of helpless annoyance as her pink nose twitched, and continued to run.

“Huhhh...*sniff, sniff*...huhhhhh...” Ashley pinched the tissue around her irritated nostrils, impatient for the sneeze that was staying lodged ticklishly inside her head. “Hehh-tchiiew!”

“Bless youuuu,” Spencer sang quietly, with a lopsided smile as she handed the dark-haired girl yet another clean tissue. Ashley grabbed it and only managed to bring it halfway to her face before her shallow breathing swelled again, making her eyes squeeze shut and her itchy pink nostrils flare.

“Hihh-shiiew! ...Ishhiiew! ...*snifffff*...” Ashley blinked hazily, breathing shallowly through her mouth, while Spencer blessed her yet again and handed her a fresh tissue. Still not talking, Ashley took it and blew her running nose for several long moments.

“Better?” Spencer asked encouragingly, gently rubbing the back of Ashley’s neck.

“Dot really,” Ashley sniffled, her nose very red now as she rubbed a fresh tissue under her still-streaming nostrils. “Huhh-tshiiew! ...Hehhhh...huhh...hashhiew! Huhh-ashhiiew! ...*sniff*...”

“Damn. God bless you!” Spencer kissed Ashley’s temple while the exhausted girl blew her nose wearily. “Poor little thing, you look sooooo miserable right now,” Spencer crooned, tucking a stray lock of hair back behind Ashley’s ear. “What can I do to make you feel better?”

“Cuddles,” Ashley mumbled hoarsely, with a shallow cough. “Bed.”

“Okay, honey...c’mon, I gotcha.” It was rather awkward for Spencer to try to pull Ashley to her feet, with her own enormous belly already throwing her balance off; but between them, they managed to stumble back upstairs to their bedroom. Ashley flopped bonelessly onto the bed, and the moment Spencer crawled in beside her, she wound herself around the blonde girl’s limbs and nestled her head onto her warm shoulder.

“Is that better, baby girl?” Spencer murmured, wrapping one arm securely around Ashley’s waist, and trailing her nails lightly up her back.

“Uh-huh,” Ashley sniffled, yawning hugely. “Dod’t go adywhere, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Spencer smiled softly, realizing as her body relaxed into Ashley’s that a mid-afternoon nap was, in fact, a pretty great idea for both of them. “I’m not going anywhere without you, Ash.”

[Miss.A.Tishoo]

Yay!! Oh I love it; thank you so much for writing more

[telltale]

You write beautifully! I'm going to have to look this show up now. You've made me fall in love with these ladies!

[weevill25]

Wonderful part 4!! absolutely ADORABLE!! you really have a knack for these stories!! i have read all your past SON ones and think you have a real talent for writing!!

o and don't worry...i couldn't figure out how to change my avatar at first either...

MORE MORE!!

[ilovesneezing]

aaawww I love this so much!

[~~~]

I love the cuteness!!! It amuses me so when badass girls get all vulnerable-like ^^. Great update as always.