Without Me

Not Afraid

Ashley couldn't help but laugh as Marshall was the first person Lizzy ran too. It was quite a sight seeing a tiny dog make a grown man squirm and shriek as it ran circles around him, their tail waving enthusiastically as she rubbed herself affectionately against his leg.

"She seems to really like you, Marshall. Are you sure she's for Jamie Ash?" Sarah remarked as she too let out a laugh at the dogs' antics and Marshall's reaction.

He'd backed himself into the corner by the door, but that didn't stop the black and grey mass of fur stand up on its back legs placing its front paws on his legs. Finally realising that running away from the animal wasn't going to get it to stop, Marshall adopted a new tactic and crouched down so he was eye level with Lizzy, which caused her to take her paws off him and sit down in front of him. Cautiously he reached out his hand for her to sniff and after a little tilt of her head, she licked his fingers and then turned away from him to go and say hello to Ashley.

"Stopped screaming like a little girl and decided to face your fear did we," Ashley quipped as she picked Lizzy up in her arms, the dog licking her face as she did.

"I was not scared or screaming," Marshall deafened, crossing his arms across his chest. Only to undo the action when Sarah passed him the dog bed.

"Oh you were sweetie, there's no denying it. I'm sure the whole block heard you," Sarah pointed out placing a lead, blankets and some dog toys inside the bed so it would be easier to take the items out to the car.

"Wasn't," he muttered opening the door with his elbow and making his way back out to the car. He didn't want to stay and debate whether he was screaming because all he'd get from them was that he was, which was the truth, but that wasn't the point. He was in no way going to admit that he had been scared of a fluff ball that had just wanted to say hello and was all in all harmless.

When he got back to the house he noticed that Sarah, Ashley and Lizzy had all moved from the hallway. The sound of voices in the coming from a room further down the hall told him that they were in the living room. He entered to find Ashley sat next to Sarah on the couch, Lizzy laid patiently by Ashley's feet; Marshall hated the fact that he found the action somewhat cute the way she sat there her little head resting on her paws. Shaking his head he turned away from the dog and moved his gaze to focus on Ashley and Sarah. Just by the way Ashley sat with her hands in her lap fiddling with her fingers he knew what she was owing to say and it made her nervous. She looked up catching his eye, he nodded coaxing her to say what she wanted to say

"We took a test," Ashley's voice was barely above a whisper, Marshall only knew what she had said because he'd read her lips as she spoke. When Sarah didn't answer Ashley added to what she had already said, "a pregnancy test and it was positive."

What Sarah did next confused not only Ashley and Marshall but the way Lizzy sat up with her ears stood to attention, showed she had not anticipated what occurred either. She laughed before then bringing Ashley into a bone-crushing hug. Her laughter only ceased after she'd pulled away. It took a couple more seconds, however, before she caught her breath back and finally explained her actions to both of them.

"Ashley you're a grown woman you acted as if you were a teenager who'd done something they shouldn't have," she paused again before continuing, "but with that said if it turns out to be true then I am happy for you both I really am. I had been wondering how long it would take before you two became a thing and now you're going to be a little family. Oh I can't wait," Ashley breathed a sigh of relief as Sarah pulled her in for another hug and as she peeked over her shoulder Marshall shared a warm happy smile with her.

***

"Are you sure this is safe?" Marshall asked as he watched Ashley run her fingers through Lizzy's thick coat, who was sat upright on her lap.

"I'm not the one driving Marshall. It's not like she's sat on your lap eye to eye with the steering wheel, is it? Plus we're not going far and as far as I know she doesn't get car sick," Ashley explained to him before she buried her face into Lizzy's fur, giggling as it tickled her nose.

"Fine, but if some cop pulls us over I'm dropping you in it," he warned wagging his finger at her in a playfully threatening way.

"Ok," she quipped back. Marshall unsure how really to respond just shrugged and started the car up. It was then when he pulled out of Sarah's driveway and down the road that he figured out what he was going to say next

"It's going to be spending the night in my house," he burst out, his remark being met with a bark from the dog next to him, which seemed to tell him that it had heard him and had responded.

"First of she is not an it, her name is Lizzy, second it's only for the night and third of all I'm going to be there so I'll make sure she doesn't lick you to death like you claimed she did last time," he rolled his eyes at the final point she made, but knowing he wasn't going to be alone with something he didn't know  how to look after made him feel better.

"Ok, but it in no way is going to be in the bedroom. I ain't having it running my sex life I got nine months until the baby comes. Baby gets a free pass when it comes to that," Ashley snorted, which caused a grin to crack across his face.

"Ok she stays out of the bedroom, but I don't remember saying that we were going to be doing anything but sleeping in your bed tonight."

"Um, what happened to we'll finish this later. I remember you agreeing to that," Marshall pointed out, slowing the car to a halt as they came to a set of traffic lights, which allowed her to turn his head to look at her. Well by looking at her he was really just looking at Lizzy, who sat on Ashley's lap.

"Since when was a bed necessary," it was Marshall's turn to snort this time as he took in what she had just said.

"If you're like this now I can't wait for when the pregnancy hormones really kick in," he remarked winking at her as he accelerated the car once more.