Without Me

Desperation

January 2017

''This is your fault you know?'' Marshall grumbled as he looked around the nursery, trying to figure out he was going to repaint the room.

''How is it might fault, it takes two to make a baby Marsh, plus it's more you're fault than mine since you didn't bring any condoms with you when we went to New York,'' Ashley pointed out. She was sat on the floor, one hand resting on her stomach, contemplating how she was going to stand up if Marshall walked out of the room without her, leaving her on the floor.

''Fine, we're both to blame, how 'bout that,'' Ashley shrugged, as Marshall came to sit down next to her, leaning his back against the wall, enabling him to get a wide-angle of the room.

''We could split it down the middle and do a pink and blue that work well together,'' Ashley suggested, using her arm to show where the split would be. It had been months since the babies genders revealed and it had taken both Marshall and Ashley months to try and figure out how they'd paint the room.

Although they had had some distractions, with Jason's trial, to which he ended up in prison for the manslaughter of over 10 people, spanning over nearly twenty years. Neither Ashley nor Marshall attended the trial since it had occurred in a different state; Ashley couldn't remember where it took place, but she defiantly remembered the relief she felt after the sentencing.

Jamie was finally able to go back to school over the festive period; due to a police investigation, that Paul had managed to set up found out the Jason was blackmailing the kids to isolate Jamie. Tom tried to explain that, that was the reason they broke up, but Jamie was having none of it and continued on without him. He'd gotten into the league with some of Whitney's friends and appeared to be a lot happier at school than he'd been for a long time; even if it was to be his last year.

Talia had been the only downside in the past couple of months. Graham had filed for divorce after he'd discovered while he'd been taking part in fashion shows across the world, that she'd been pretending she was some kind of millionaire and cheating on him with a variety of different men. He'd filed for divorce the second he'd found out and a week later he'd rung to warn Ashley that she may get a visit from Talia which she did.

December 2016

''Mom, why does it look like taila's at the door?'' Jamie rushed into the living room, where Ashley and Marshall were sat watching football on the Tv. Well, Marshall was watching, while Ashley flicked through a magazine.

''What?'' Ashley exclaimed, sitting up straight.

''Looks like Talia's at the door,'' Jamie repeated, shrugging his shoulders, ''I didn't answer it, I just looked through the little peephole thing and saw her. Didn't you hear the doorbell go?''

''Yes, but you yelled I got it,'' Marshall pointed out not taking his eyes off the screen.

''I suppose we better go talk to her otherwise she isn't going to go away,'' Ashley stood up and nudged Marshall when he didn't move.

''But I'm watching... hmm fine,'' he didn't either bother to argue, instead of standing up and following her towards the front door.

''Thank god, I didn't think you were going to answer, Ashley I don't know what to do,'' Talia was sobbing, her head in her hands as she looked at Ashley and Marshall through her fake eyelashes.

Looking over at her Ashley realised that she'd changed a lot in the past eight months. Her skin had a golden glow, that could only have been achieved via expensive tanning, her appearance was also masked by the amount of makeup she had on and Ashley was sure she had had lip fillers too. In many ways, Taila looked unrecognisable and even Marshall was bemused by her appearance.

''Maybe go home?'' Marshall suggested, his arm folded across his chest as he stood behind Ashley.

''Graham and I divorced I can't go home,'' Talia sniffled and Ashley had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. Graham had rung and warned them that something like this was going to happen, so she had no sympathy for her ex-best friend. Neither did Marhsall, although Ashley doubted whether he would have had any in the first place anyway.

''Well that appears to be your problem then not mine,'' Marshall deadpanned.

''Are you going to let him speak to me like that?'' Talia exclaimed pointing a figure towards Marshall.

''We're not friends Talia, I'm not going to defend you anymore and I can't help you.  There aren't any spare rooms for you to sleep in, we converted the last ones into a nursery and sperate playroom,'' Ashley spoke calmly and plainly, ''you're going to have to go back to were you've been staying, cause I know you and Graham filed for divorce a couple of weeks ago, meaning you've been staying somewhere,'' Ashley added.

''Is that it, that's all you can do for me after all these years,'' Talia whimpered, a couple of stray tears still running down her cheeks.

''Just be glad she's not Kim, she would have pulled those fake lashes off and pounded you into the pavement by now,'' Ashley turned round to give Marshall a look, to which he shrugged, ''what ya'll know I ain't wrong.''

''I'm going to have to ask you to leave now, there really isn't anything else to say,'' Ashley didn't look back as she pushed Marshall back into the house and shut the door behind her, leaving Talia alone outside.

''Where do you think she'll go now?'' Marshall asked.

''I really, really don't know, but despite everything she's done I hope she finds a way out,'' that was the last time in a long time Ashley and Marshall would see or hear of Talia.

Present

''So what do you think,'' Ashley asked again, turning her head to look at Marshall.

''Hmm could work, I mean we gotta try it, we've only got about a week to go,'' he went to stand up and nearly left, but Ashley's squeak in protest made him remember that she wouldn't be able to get up off the floor without his help.

''Thank you very much. I'm just gonna forget about the part where you nearly left me,'' she giggled, as he started peppering kisses across her skin.

''What I'd never forget you,'' he mumbled between the kisses.

''Yeah, why don't...'' she stopped talking and immediacy when to clutch her stomach, ''oh no,'' she breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm herself when she realised what was happing.

''what Ash, what's wrong?''

''We haven't got about a week, cause my water just broke,''  Ashley whispered, in hopes of Marshall not going into panic mode.