Ashley was currently off of work like everyone else, near dinner time as people left the building. She was currently making her way up to Gabriel's office once again, to hopefully just let him know that she was leaving for a bit.
"Gabriel?"
"Yes?" He sounded a bit annoyed, Maybe I should just leave him be?
Ashley went in anyways, closing the door behind her. "What's up?"
"I-Um...just wanted to let you know I am going to Billy's for a little bit...I hope that isn't an issue?"
"Why would it be?" Ashley realized that usually, she would ask John if it would be okay for her to even leave the house to go shopping, the fact that asking was drilled into her head made her want to gag.
"I...I don't really know?"
"Where do you plan on staying tonight?" He finally looked up from his paperwork, chin resting on his folded hands as he watched Ashley fidget.
"I...don't know. I probably will just go ho-"
"I'll pick you whenever you want, I really don't like the idea of you staying there Ashley."
Again, Ashley didn't want to intrude on her boss's private life more than she already had, though that wouldn't stop him from taking her home. "Gab-"
"Please, Ashley don't go home while that guy is out there. It's just not safe. Neither is Danny's before you say that, remember that he is staying with Jack?"
"Right, if I am completely not overstepping anything and you really really really don't mind, I would...rather stay at your place for the night?"
"You didn't have to ask again." Gabriel smiled lightly as he wrote something on a piece of paper and shuffled it to the side. It made Ashleys stomach flutter a tad bit.
"I- I didn't."
"You sounded like it. I'll pick you up around eight? You can stay in my apartment until it's safe for you to go home."
"Just saying...that could literally be weeks away."
"Then so be it." Ashleys cheeks flushed pink as Gabriel stood up, walking around his desk and leaning asking the front.
"Thank you, again. I'll let you get back to work. Everyone is pretty much gone and I locked up the front! And got everything you asked today done! I think Marco trained in Troy for the most part, though I don't think he needs much training...that sounded wrong, sorry, he just works for another Sancuary so I thought-"
"Ashley."
"Yeah?"
"Go see Billy." Gabriel nodded to the door with a faint smile on his face as she reddened again at what she said. Nodding and reaching for the door, Ashley waved and quickly rushed out of the office to see Troy appear out of the blue.
Ready to go?"
"Mhmm! Just had to get something."
"Oh?"
"Don't worry about it."
"As you wish. Now...Let's go meet a baby!"
—————
Said baby was adorable, she was so small and chubby, though only a few days old, Billy wanted people over to meet her already.
She was fragile and so innocent to the world, Ashley loved her. The family was let out of the hospital after two days, and it was only day four.
She was so small, Ashley felt like she couldn't move because the baby might break. Billy stayed by Ashley and just smiled like a big teddy bear the whole time. He was a very proud daddy at the moment.
"She is so quiet, we actually have slept really well lately, surprisingly." Jasmine was asleep in their room, she quickly passed out after saying a hello to Ashley and Troy, complaining that she was bleeding and wearing a diaper and needed to sleep.
Billy watched his little girl as Ashley rocked her smiling. "She's so cute, Billy."
"Thanks for letting us over, I know it's really early and she's just a few days old and all."
"Totally fine, I want everyone to meet her soon. You guys are family at this point." Ashley looked up and her smile was so wide, the boys could have both sworn that she was suddenly the sun lighting up the earth. She wanted to cry at the fact that Billy Calle her family, because the only family she ever had was her grandparents who were now in nursing homes, and Danny.
"Ashley, you look like Billy just made your entire year."
Because he did/because I did. Ashley and Billy both thought the same thing, smiling at each other before Ashley looked down back at the baby, holding back happy tears. That small sentence made her feel like the earth spun in a million circles.
Ashley had only known Billy for a month or two now, but they talked daily and he helped her with a lot of coping with the John situation. He was like family to Ashley as well and it made her heart swell.
She was incredibly glad she got a job where she did, meeting people who truly cared for her being.
"Hand over the baby, I get my turn too ya know." Troy pouted as Ashley hugged the baby tighter, shaking her head making Billy laugh. "Pleeeease!" He begged Ashley scooting closer to her Side on the floor and stretching his arms out.
"Fine." Gently passing baby Lavender on, Billy got up from the couch and rubbed Ashleys shoulder before leaving for the kitchen for the coffee he made. When Billy said they were sleeping well, he meant his wife. Billy on the other hand stayed up worrying if Lavender would need him or not.
"Oh my god, she's gonna give me baby fever!"
"Oh?"
"I mean, how could you not want a little one of these in your arms everyday. I mean sure, some of it is really gross, but look at Lavender, she's perfect."
"Yeah, I guess. I've never really wanted kids."
"Really?" He looked over at her like it was something so strange, he thought for sure Ashley would have wanted kids at some point.
"Yeah, I was more of the let me be a nice aunt who spoils the kid."
"There will be no spoiling of this child." Billy walked back in with a cup of hot coffee and a cup of iced coffee for Ashley.
"Billy, you are going to spoil this child one hundred percent of the time." Troy looked up and raised an eyebrow, Billy just smiled and nodded, he looked so tired.
"If you want, you can take a nap Billy, even out here, she's so quiet right now and you have two more people here." The big tattooed man just shrugged and smiled.
"I don't want to burden you guys, it's not that big of a deal."
"You looked like you haven't slept, I mean you might be running on coffee now fully. Jasmine is asleep for a good reason, but you should rest too if you're comfortable."
"You guys really don't mind?" The tattooed teddy bear seemed more shocked than down turning, really considering the option at this point in life. He did trust both of the younger adults in his house and with Lavender already.
"Not at all."
"Just for ten minutes! I'll be in the guest room!" Billy practically sprinted to the extra bedroom, not using his so his wife could sleep peacefully. Leaving behind the younger adults.
"We aren't letting him sleep for ten minutes, are we?"
"Not a chance, he looks so drained. He always Texts me to take a nap or something when he knows I've had a long day, so I will tell him it too." Ashley laughed as she spoke.
"That's sweet. You really do look out for everyone here don't you?"
"Hmm? I mean not really..." The brunette just shrugged and smiled, watching the baby in Troys arms.
"Marco thinks differently, he really thinks you've changed the whole Sanctuary since you came to work for them. He went on and on about you today, all good things. He thinks Jack is a lot less shy around people he works with, and Summer somehow is less of asshole, nicely said." Ashley laughed at the one about Summer because she thought she just pissed her off all the time.
"Danny is just Danny. Billy likes you a lot too, I can see that even here. in my experience he never really liked a lot of new people, it took him a whole three months to say something other than hello to Summer when she first started!"
"Really?"
"Yep. And Gabriel, I don't know what you did but damn, I've known him for a while and I saw him in the break room today. I've never seen him in the break room ever since I started here. He's always upset and grumpy and shit, but Marco swears you did something that put a jump in his step."
"I didn't do a thing" Lies.
"Well, just you being there makes everyone happy, you know. It made me happy when I first came in, and saw a friendly face. I knew I liked you for some reason."
"I-...I don't do much with anyone really. They've all done so much for me if anything. More than I could ever do for them."
"They don't seem to think so, at least these are all the things Marco said. I don't really know some of the people here that well, just Billy and Marco honestly."
"When did you start? Working this kind of stuff?" Ashley was curious when he started all of this. It was interesting to hear how people got into the business they did. It's not everyday you meet and work with people constantly in the BDSM world professionally.
"Seven years ago? I was one of the first people to start up here actually, Gabriel used to only have a few buildings until this one was brought up. He moved me here cause I was the most experienced in this stuff."
"Aren't you like...28 though?"
"Mhmm. I started when I was 20. I think I came up here my second year to train in Marco actually, then I stayed for a few years, that's when Billy came in. There were a few others too, not that many though. Marco and I were close, but I left for the Sanctuary in Ohio. That's when Summer replaced me actually." Ashley sat there and listened as Lavender slept soundly in Troy's arms still.
"I come back once in a while for Gabriel and stuff when he needs the help here seeing as it's probably the most popular Sanctuary. I never got to know Danny and Jack though, they seem cute."
"Yeah they are, I've known Danny since high school. He's a good guy, I think you would like him."
"When did you start at the Sanctuary."
"Um...Almost two months ago I guess. It definitely doesn't seem like it with everything going on though." Ashley had started two months ago, with the week off they all got because of the wreck John made, the weekends, and the days off Ashleys as given because of circumstances, it had been a month.
The group only went out to drink on two or three weekends together, the wreck took almost a week and half to really clean up and redo the rooms that we damaged, and nothing really did start until about two weeks after Ashley took the job.
That was also something Ashley realized in the moment, John didn't visit her for two weeks after she got her job, besides on her first day. She had an amazing two weeks without him coming to see her. Then it started to really go loose from then on.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Seems like it was just last week I started though. Weird. But I love working there, it is nice."
"Gabriel seems to have taken a liking to you, I thought he didn't hire people to work though."
"He didn't, or doesn't. Danny is still in charge of that, Danny hired me. He said the job was all mine and Gabriel told him 'whatever' on hiring me. I didn't meet him until my third day of working there I think."
"Oh. Well I guess I should thank Danny then."
"For what?"
"For hiring someone as cute as you."
"I-" Ashley was taken back by the sudden compliment though it was a small one, Troy smiled over at her as he flirted lightly. It made Ashleys cheeks pinker than they already were.
"Aw look! She's waking up." Ashley leaned into Troy's space to see Lavender opening her eyes and doing a little baby yawn. Her blue eyes watched the two people that weren't her parents carefully.
Baby Lavender only watched the two, not making a sound. "Oh my gosh, her eyes are so blue!"
Troy grabbed a stuffie Billy had given him, waving it at Lavender, who somehow was taken back to Ashleys arms. Playing with the stuffie making the baby smile, it made Ashley laugh and smile brightly.
Watching Troy smile at her and Lavender as he played around with the stuffed animal, Ashley leaned against the couch with Lavender in her lap, laying more upright against her knees while the baby watched Troy.
Said man who was goofing off moved behind Ashley, his legs spreading so Ashley rested in between them on the floor, her back to him as Lavender looked up and smiled.
Ashley didn't know when her eyes got so drowsy, but her head started to slack some, her head tilting to lay it against Troy's knee lightly as he started to do a battle scene that made Lavender fall asleep again.
Both girls started to doze off leaving Troy there, his hand finding its way to Ashleys head, lightly stroking her hair as she rested there.
A while later, Billy came out to see the girls sleeping and Troy sitting there, watching them both with a content smile. "They asleep too?"
"Yeah. Lavender woke up a bit a ago but fell back asleep. So did Ashley..." Billy watched in front the door frame that had no door as Troy played with Ashleys hair.
"Do you know Ashley at all?"
"We met once, ran into each other a bit ago at a coffee shop. The rest of you were there at the hotel. We talked for a bit and got each other's numbers. I didn't know she worked with you guys."
"Small world."
"I guess so."
"She's a good girl Troy, but she's been through some things lately. I would refrain from doing a whole lot with her."
"What do you mean?"
"She's had a lot of weight on her shoulders is all. You need to be careful with her right now, so maybe hitting on her isn't the best idea for you guys." Billy talked as he picked up Lavender from Ashleys lap.
"I really like her."
Setting the baby in the crib they had in the living room,Billy turned to Troy who pouted a tiny bit, "I see that. But trust me, for her sake, just go slow."
"Yes sir." Billy rolled his eyes and smiled at the two. Ashley looked better than even a week ago. So much better. She was really better off without John being around her. He worried about the court dates though, Ashley had yet to say anything, but they were also witnesses to the other incident with he Sanctuary, though it was a minor trial for that, everyone would have to speak against John.
They didn't need to, but they would.
But he worried about the ones that would go over the domestic abuse. He worried about Ashleys mental state, after she would have to talk about everything John did and witness him again.
A ping went off from a phone, Ashleys phone that was in her purse. Ashley bolted upright before rubbing her eyes and grabbing her phone quickly. A habit she had from her previous partner.
Seeing Gabriel's name appear on the phone telling her he was here made her sigh and look at Billy with a sleepy smile.
"My rides here."
"That's okay, your tired. Get some real sleep Ashley."
"You sure you guys don't need anything? I can go shopping if you want?"
"Ashley, we are just fine here. Go get some sleep." Billy assured her as he helped her up from the floor. Rubbing her back as they walked out to the front door of Billy's home.
"Okay, let me know if you need anything though okay! A new baby is hard work but you gotta take care of yourself."
"I know I know, thank you guys for letting me sleep. I'll let you know if i need anything, alright?"
"Okay." Ashley hugged the big teddy bear man tightly before opening the door and waving a goodbye, Troy right behind her.
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking. Are you seeing anyone?"
"I think you asked me that the last time we talked Troy." Ashley smiled as they walked down the little pavement to the main road where Troy adn Gabriel were parked.
"Is the answer still no?"
"Yes..."
"So...that means i can ask you out on a date then?"
"What?"
"Would you want to go out on a date with me Ashley?" Wait, Gabriel. They weren't together toughest though, they had just been...hooking up? She thought for a moment before impulsively nodding her head with a small smile.
"Great! Awesome...I'll talk to you about tomorrow then?"
"Sure."
"Cool, I'll let you get going then. I'll talk to you tomorrow!" Troy ran off with a goofy smile on his face Ashley waved goodbye before looking at Gabriel's car and realizing that she needed to leave.
—————
Ba Da Ba Ba Ba....okay bye loves!
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