Without Me

Legacy

''A month detention is that really all they gave him I mean,'' Ashley read over the letter that had been sent to her concerning the decision the school had made about Jason's son bullying Jamie.

Marshall sighed pulling the letter from her grasp. She squealed in protest but didn't bother to fight him for it back. He scanned over its contents taking in the fact they'd only given the kid one month of detention instead of expelling or excluding him. Once he'd finished reading the whole thing he ripped it in two and threw it in the recycling bin.

''I got an idea,'' Ashley glanced over in his direction a face of confusion aimed at him; having no idea what his idea was going to be for.

''Ok, you gonna tell me?'' She asked him after he took a relatively long pause.

''You need a holiday, you're too stressed,'' he pointed out, edging his way closer to her so he could place his hands on her shoulders and look straight into her eyes, ''I don't want you to moan about how you ain't because you're stressed over everything. The baby, Jamie and now fucking Jason. Oh and don't forget you were supposed to be doing an album, but you cancelled that for a second time because of all the other things I've just listed,'' Marshall explained, giving her no room to contradict or argue against him.

''Where would I go?'' She asked.

''You mean where will we go, I'm coming with you,'' he added.

''Won't be much of a holiday now would it if you're there,'' Ashley tried to be serious, but the quirk of her lips and the little giggle she let out gave it away that she was joking.

''I love you so much, you know that right?'' Marshall didn't allow her to reply as he bent his head down to capture her lips in a slow kiss. A holiday in his arms was all she needed.

***

''Australia?''

''Too many things to kill us,'' Ashley pointed out, watching Marshall huff as he crossed the option off of the list.

''Canda?''

''Too cold,'' Marshall shook his head at how impossible Ashley was being about the entire process of choosing a place to go.

'''Well, where would you like to go?'' He then proposed, hoping he'd get a straight answer from her and wouldn't have to suffer by listing off countries one by one, just for her to probably choose one of the last ones he'd said; or backtrack and say she actually wanted to go to Australia all along.

''England, but hear me out,'' she added nothing the quizzical look that fell across his face.

''I'm listening.''

''We can go see Miss Charles, I could take you round where I grew up. Come on you've never fully explored, we only ever go there on press runs of for shows. Please,'' the pleading look and big eyes Ashley sported made Marshalls' heart melt, there was no way he could say no to something she appeared passionate about.

''Fine, but I got one question?'' Ashley nodded allowing him to continue, ''I've only ever heard you refer to you're a first foster mom as Miss Charles, do you not know her name. Plus why didn't you call her mom?''

''To answer the first question in truth I did know, but I've only ever called her Miss Charles so I can't actually remember her actual first name. Second it just never felt right to call her mum, kinda the same with Sarah. I never called her mum either,'' Ashley just shrugged as she nudged him out of the way so she could get to the computer screen, so she could figure out where in England they were going to stay.

As she typed Marshall sat in his thoughts for a while. It was only after she'd spoken about not calling Sarah mom that he remembered that they'd had a very similar conversation before many years before. Then as he thought about it more, he realised it was one of the first real conversations they'd had, not counting the brief chat they'd had when he picked her up from the airport or the argument they'd had before she was shot outside the shop.

1995
Ashley 16

Marshall sat twiddling his thumbs as he watched the teen lying still in the hospital bed. He had to lie and say he was her brother so that he could stay with her. If anybody asked him why he'd stayed, he'd say he had no proper explanation; apart from the fact that she was young and if she woke up she'd probably be scared.

''Vending machines, man why are they so expensive?'' Deshaun strolled into the room, two KitKat's in hand; he threw one at Marshall before taking a seat next to him in the empty chair.

''Thanks man,'' Marshall mumbled as he took the chocolate out of the wrapper and bit into it. He, however, paused mid-bite as a low groan came from the body laying on the bed next to them.

''Where am I?'' Ashley sounded rather dazed as she stirred, struggling to pull herself into a seated position.

''Whoa go, careful girl, here I gotcha,'' Marshal heard her mumble in thanks as Proof helped her sit up properly in the bed.

''Is there anyone you want us to ring, or do you want one of us to go over to your moms and bring her here?'' Marshall asked once Deshaun had filled her in on what exactly had happened.

''You mean Sarah right? I don't call her mum,'' Ashley responded, shrugging her shoulders as Marshall gave her a questioning look, ''didn't call my carer in England mum either it was always Miss Charles.''

''Why?'' Both Deshaun and Marhsll posed the question at the same time.

''Never really felt right you know. I mean before I was with Miss Charles I had no one so the concept of calling people mum and dad completely passed me by you know.''

''Yeah. I'll tell ya what I've gotta go to work how about I just tell Sarah what happened and then she can decide whether to come or not,'' Marshall suggested finishing off his bar of chocolate before standing up, looking as if he was going to leave.

''Ok. I guess I'll see you guys around,'' she muttered in response not exactly liking that she was going to be left alone.

''Don't sound so down, you still got me,'' Deshaun remarked and there was no mistaking the flicker of a smile that flew across her features. It was the start of a new found friendship between all three of them, which at the time they didn't realise would go down in history.