The Apocalypse: Race For The Cure

Cruel And Unusual

"Glen stop pacing." Aiden tells his beau as he walks back in forth in front of his sisters still body. It's been almost three hours and Spencer still hasn't woken up yet. We've decided not to tell the adults yet, we don't want to freak anyone out; especially not Spencer's parents. Only Glen, Aiden, Spencer and myself know exactly how long it took for Aiden to be okay after he was bitten and I gave him my blood. Spencer is over an hour past that time and I gave her my blood quicker than I gave it to Aiden.

"She looks better than before." Angel walks closer to her and says.

She does... but that means absolutely nothing if she doesn't wake up.

"Ashley I'm gonna kill you." Glen turns to me and says once he stops pacing.

"Glen I did all I could..."

"You promised me that she would be okay. You promised and now she's not." His voice cracks. He clears his throat and says in a deep tone, "So now I have to kill you." He adds in a big brotherly tone.

"It's not her fault, Glen. She's done all she can do." Aiden tells him.

"Yeah I know." Glen sighs and sits down next to his boyfriend. "I just... I hate not being able to help her." He whispers and leans his head on Aiden's shoulder.

I take another look at Spencer...laying there, so helpless; before I turn and walk away to the corner of the room. I can't look at her like this. I told her not to do this. That I didn't know if it would work a second time; but she just had to go and be stubborn and do it anyway.

"This isn't your fault." Angel comes up beside me and says as I lean over the counter.

I drop my head and sigh, "Not everyone is going to see it that way." Is my reply.

"There's no other way to see it. You did all you can Ashley. You were willing to kill your ex-girlfriend to protect her." She says and I turn to face her. "Yeah, I noticed." She nods and smiles. "There's no doubt that you love that girl, and everyone knows you'd do anything to protect her."

"I do love her." I reply simply.

"I know." She nods.

"I wish I hadn't allowed her to do this. I probably could have pushed harder to get her to change her mind. Maybe if-"

"You know there was no way you were stopping her Ash, don't kid yourself. We both know how stubborn Spencer can be." She chuckles and adds, "I've only known her for a few weeks and I've already figured that out. Spencer has her ways."

"Yeah." I smile. "She does doesn't she." I think that's one of the main reasons I fell for her. I never planned on meeting someone, I only wanted to do what was best for Kyla and for myself. I never imagined meeting a group of people that I would give my life for. A girl that I would do absolutely anything for. I dropped my guard with Spencer, let her in. I didn't think it would happen after Rebecca, but it did and now there's this girl that I can't imagine living without; in this world or any world for that matter.

But the sad thing is...I brought us to this point. Maybe if I had told her about Rebecca sooner, things would be different. Maybe she wouldn't have volunteered to do this. I feel like this is all my fault and I just may lose her because of it.

"She's gonna be okay Ashley." Angel reads my thoughts.

"If she doesn't-"

"She will." Angel cuts me off with a small reassuring smile.

"Thanks Angel." I nod appreciatively.

"Sure." She clears her throat and backs up from me a little. "Um...I know this may not be the most opportune time to say this... or I guess ask you this but um... I kinda wanna do it while I have the nerve." She says, stumbling over her words. She glances over her shoulder at Kyla whose talking to Eric.

"You don't have to-" I lift my hands and shake my head, knowing where this is going but she cuts me off.

"I need too." She nods. "You're like the closest thing she has to a parent so um..." She clears her throat again, adjusting her shirt at the collar. "If you haven't noticed already, I um... I really like Ky and I um... well I was wondering if it would be okay if I... you know... asked her out..." She trails off, waiting for my reaction. I guess she assumed I wouldn't be okay with this. Total opposite actually.

"Angel I-"

"I knew it!" I hear an all too familiar voice shout. Everyone in the room turns to face Spencer. She's staring at Angel and I, very much awake and smiling extremely hard.

"Have you been awake this entire time?" Glen shoots up from his spot next to Aiden and asks. Spencer shrugs and shifts her eyes from left to right for a moment.

"Not this whole time." She smiles and shrugs again. "It's amazing the things people will say around you when they think you're sleeping." She smirks and lays back in the chair.

"I don't know whether to hit you, or kiss you right now." Glen tells his sister.

"I think I'd prefer a hit, there's no telling where those lips have been." Spencer jokes as Glen pulls her into a hug.

"I'm gonna go get mom and dad." Glen says before running off.

"Good to have you back." Aiden smiles and touches Spencer's arm before walking out behind Glen.

"That was cruel you know." Kyla walks up to Spencer and says.

"Yeah," Spencer nods. "I know." She adds with a smile.

"Glad you're okay though." Kyla says before walking out with Eric. Is it me or is she spending an unusual amount of time with Eric?

"So you heard that huh?" Angel questions Spencer with a smile.

"Yeah." She says and looks at me. "Every word." In my peripheral I see Angel look at me with a smile, she whispers a 'see you later,' before walking out.

"You shouldn't have done that." I shake my head at her. "You scared Glen half to death." I add.

"Only Glen?" She questions with a raised brow.

"When did you wake up?" I ask, avoiding her question. She notices because she smiles as she gets up from the chair.

"A while ago." She admits.

"That was cruel you know." I shake my head and smile at her.

She shrugs. "Nothing unusual coming from me, right?" She smiles. "Thanks for not telling my parent's. I wouldn't have been able to keep this up as long as I did if you had." She smiles.

"I don't know what to do with you, Spencer." I smile as she moves in front of me, dangerously close. "Spencer what are you-"

"You should kiss me now." She states simply, her lips only inches from mine.

"But you-"

"Don't." She shakes her head, moving impossibly closer. "Just kiss me." She whispers and closes her eyes. I waste no time complying, immediately melting into her lips. I've missed her so much, her taste, the softness of her skin, everything about her entices me.

"Your parent's are gonna be in here in any sec." I say pulling back, trying to catch my breath.

"Then you should kiss me faster." Is her reply, pulling me by my hair back into the kiss. I can't help the moan that escapes my lips. I guess we got lost in each other because the next thing we heard was the sound of a throat being cleared. We pulled back, looking to my left, her right; to see her parents. My cheeks turned ten shades of red, not because I was embarrassed that we were caught kissing but because somehow, during the passionate make out session my left hand magically ended up on Spencer's right boob. And right now I'm too in shock to remove it. Spencer looks at her parent's, then at me, then down at her boob. I guess she's waiting for me to remove my hand.

Yeah... I'm frozen. That hand isn't going anywhere.

I gulp the lemon in my throat as Spencer slaps my hand away. Glen and Aiden stifle their laughter as I step back from Spencer.

"I'm gonna go...um...shoot myself I think." I nod, quickly leaving the room. As I'm passing Glen and Aiden they point and laugh in my face like the twelve year old douche-bags they are.

And that there is the definition of cruel and unusual punishment.