Without Me

When I'm gone

''Ash, what the fuck are you doing?'' Marshall cried out as Ashley stood teetering on top of a chair, enabling her to reach the top shelf of one of the cupboards in the little closet that stored a lot of the stuff they didn't want littering the rest of the house.

''Trying to reach the photo albums I threw up here,'' she turned around shrugging as she continued to use her hand to feel the space around where her arm reached.

''Get down now,'' Marshall demanded. Ashley, however, rolled her eyes and turned her back on him, stretching even more on her tiptoes.

''I'm fine Marsh, I've nearly got it anyway,'' as she spoke the words her fingertips brushed against the edge of the album she was looking for. Biting her tongue Ashley managed to latch the tips of her fingers onto it proceeding to pull it out slowly. It was nearly in her hands when she was suddenly lifted into the air, her grip leaving the edge of the object.

''I said get down,'' Marshall's voice growled in her ear once he'd placed Ashley firmly on the ground in front of him, his hands squeezing her hips tightly.

''And I said I was fine,'' Ashley muttered, twisting herself out of his grip, ''now if you allow me I need to get that photo album down,'' she moved forward, but Marshall caught her arm dragging her back into him again.

''No. I'll get the photo album off of the shelf and you can watch your big strong fiancé it,'' he bopped Ashley on the nose. The interaction was made cuter by the scowl that flashed across her face as he moved away from her taking up her previous position on the chair.

Marshall stretched his arm up and within seconds his hand clamped around the book Ashley had been trying to reach. He drew it out slowly, as not to knock anything else off the shelf by accident. When he'd evntaully, safely, pulled out the album he looked down to look at what it was. at first, it was hard to make out the writing on the front because it was covered in a thick layer of dust, but he could make out the letter J.

''There you go,'' he offered it out to her, which she forcefully snatched out of his hand.

''Thank you, but I didn't need your help,'' she pouted turning on her heel ready to leave him in the room.

''What would have happened if you feel of the chair Ash, or something fell on you and you badly injured yourself,'' Marshall stood with his arms crossed over his chest looking Ashley straight in the eye.

''I didn't so it doesn't matter,'' Ashley shrugged, moving to leave again.

''Are you kidding me Ash you're pregnant you can't be climbing all over shit, especially chairs near shelving stacked with a whole load of crap, which could have fallen on you at any point.''

''And it didn't, what's you're problem,'' Ashley bit back, holding the photo album close to her chest.

''I love you that's my fucking problem and I love them too,'' he was pulling at his hair with one hand while gesturing to Ashley's swelling stomach with the other, ''I just, want you to be safe,'' he finished running his hands down his face.

''Come with me,'' Ashley took to a whisper as she reached her hand out, that wasn't holding the album, for him to take.

Silently, he took it, allowing her to drag him out of the room. Neither of them spoke as she led him further down the winding corridor that guests never failed to get lost down. He knew better than to ask, where she was taking him because he knew she'd either shush him or just ignore him.

''I want to show you something I've been doing for a while. I started it in the old house and carried it over here, piece by piece,'' Ashley explained as Marshall watched her reach for the door handle of a room, he didn't even realise he had.

''Ok,'' he replied nodding as he followed her into the room. The light wasn't turned on until he was fully in the room and when it did he was in awe.

''I know it may look a bit much, but I started it after Arthur died and continued it after we lost Proof. In some ways it helped me grieve,'' Ashley explained.

Marshall felt he didn't need one. He was to overwhelmed by what he was seeing before him. Pictures, old pictures accompanied by dates and little captions littered the walls. Some of the whole group together and others of just Ashley and Arthur. Now he realised why she wanted the photo album, there was one person who was missing from the room; Jamie.

''I hope you don't mind I've got Kim and the girls here to put up too,'' she nodded towards a box in the corner of the room that had random photos stacked inside.

''This is crazy Ash, but whatever makes you happy, I'm good with it. Although I do have one question?''

''Shoot.''

''Why has Jamie's baby album been in my closet, with my comic book collection, awards and random crap from the years?'' Marshall asked, watching as Ashley wiped off the dust coating Jamie's baby album.

''I um, hid it up thereafter Arthur died because seeing him in pictures was too much and so I kinda wanted to get rid of it without getting rid of it. Cause I knew you'd never throw out anything in that room,'' Ashley explained biting her lip.

''I'm not some horder Ash, but on this occasion, you may be right,'' he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer, ''I for one understand and I'm not mad it was up there a little confused as to why you didn't shove it in your own closet though.''

''Yeah thinking about it now, I don't know why I didn't either,'' she giggled, reaching up to press her lips to his cheek in a soft kiss, before then whispering in his ear, ''wanna see embarrassing baby pics of Jamie.''

''Hell yeah I do,'' he laughed before adding, ''can we then show him cause I wanna see his reaction.''

''You're so mean,'' Ashely playfully smacked his chest, ''but yeah we can.''