October 2017
Spencer had been so nervous about getting her money from her mother, that she worried herself into getting sick. Everything was fine for three weeks, Ashton and Luke both visiting her often to make sure she was doing okay, and seeing if they could do anything to help with the process. Quinn was keeping Ashton updated with every step like he had asked her to, with Spencer's permission of course, and always knew when the girl might need a little extra support.
Halfway through that third week, Spencer woke up feeling like shit. She couldn't breathe and she didn't want to move from her place in bed because her body ached so much. Ashton woke up that same morning with a text from Quinn.
Quinn
Just a heads up... I have some news for her today that she may not take well
Within fifteen minutes the honey haired boy on his way to the girls apartment, calling Natalia on his way there. He was surprised she had answered, seeing as it was eleven in the morning and she mentioned wanting to stay in bed all day that day. "Hey Ash, I was actually just about to call you."
"Oh yeah?" He chuckled, turning down a side road. "What's up?"
"Spence told me you guys had plans later today and she asked me to cancel for her. She woke up super sick and she just doesn't want to give anyone else whatever it is." The girl's best friend explained. "She feels terrible canceling at the last minute."
"Well, I'm not really worried. If I get sick then I get sick." He sighed quietly. "Quinn said she had some news for her today so I want to be there for her. I'm not sure if it's good or bad news yet."
"She's like- really sick Ashton." Natalia laughed. "It's not pretty at all."
"I'm sure she looks beautiful." He smiled just thinking about the blonde laying in bed, a red nose, rosy cheeks, and wrapped in blankets. "I'll be there in about ten minutes, just don't tell her I'm coming because she'll argue and she needs to save her energy."
"Hey– if I don't have to take care of her grossness I'm not going to complain." The brunette continued to laugh. "But she better get better before her birthday."
"I'll make sure of it, Nat. Why don't you see if you can stay with Calum for a few days while I play doctor and get her back on her feet?"
"I don't need any more convincing than that. I'll see you soon." The girl said in a sing-song way before hanging up.
Spencer had woken up and fallen asleep multiple times since eight in the morning, and didn't even notice when Natalia put some water and medicine on her bedside table before leaving the apartment with a bag packed for a few days.
It wasn't until she felt a body in bed next to her, their heat causing her to gravitate towards them, before she woke up once again.
"Ash? You're not supposed to be here." she whispered, half asleep still and moving her head to lay in his chest. "I don't want to get you sick."
He chuckled lightly, pulling the blankets to cover the both of them before playing with her hair. "Fuck that, I'm here to take care of you. I don't care if I get sick."
"I care." Spencer groaned quietly, but made no effort to move off the boy, letting him wrap his arms around her protectively. "You're so annoying sometimes."
"I'm okay with that." He whispered, watching her eyes flutter shut again. "Have you eaten anything today?"
"The idea of eating makes me want to throw up." She mumbled into his chest, shaking her head the slightest bit. "I can't–"
"You need to eat." He cut her off. "I'll go make you some food."
"Please don't go." The blonde whined, cuddling into him further. "You're so warm."
"I promise I'll be quick and back before you even know it." He whispered, slowly moving out from under her and making sure to cover her with the blankets. "Just close your eyes and try to sleep."
She mumbled something incoherent before the boy chuckled quietly and walked back out to the kitchen, digging around a little until he found some chicken noodle soup. He decided to wait to make it, letting her get a little more sleep before he'd have to wake her up to eat. Then a half hour later when he walked into her bedroom, she was sprawled out across the entire bed, snoring softly and a stuffed animal tucked under one of her arms. Ashton smiled to himself, standing in the doorway for a moment before making his way over to the bed and kissing her forehead.
She was burning up.
Worry washed over his face as he quickly pulled out his phone to look up how to treat a fever. Within a few minutes, he had a plan. Ashton pulled the blankets off the blonde, leaving the sheet in their place, he was quick to get water and a damp washcloth to press to her forehead.
Spencer slowly began to wake, shivering slightly as the cool feeling of the washcloth and absence of blankets. "Ash?" She whispered, causing him to look from his phone to the girl.
"Hey, hey. Sorry I came in here and you were burning up, and I was looking up ways to treat a fever and–" he started rambling until she laughed lightly, cutting him off.
"It's okay. I'll be fine, this happens every time I get sick." She whispered, pushing herself to sit up. "I'll just drink lots of water, take some Tylenol, eat a little, and sweat it out." She paused. "I'll probably have a fever today and wake up tomorrow feeling brand new."
"No no, this says you need to break the fever and cool down and wear light clothes and sleep with a sheet and stuff." He started explaining, shaking his head. "You need to get better, Spence. Not risk getting worse."
"I will, I will get better, I promise." She smiled weakly and cupped his cheek. "Thank you for worrying, but I swear I know how to deal with this."
The girl's phone began vibrating on the bedside table, Quinn's name lighting up the screen. Spencer felt her heart rate pick up a little as she reached over and grabbed her phone, bringing it to her ear once she answered. "Hey Quinn, what's up?" She had to hold back a cough that was making its way up her throat.
"Spencer, hi! Do you have a few minutes to talk?" The lawyer asked. "I have an update from your mothers lawyer."
"Oh uh– yeah." Spencer glanced at Ashton, taking a deep breath then looking at her lap. She was honestly terrified. "Yeah, I can talk."
"So, I got off the phone with your mom's lawyer this morning, and she wants to make a sort of deal." Quinn started, speaking slowly. "I'm not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing from your point of view, so you let me know if you want to agree, okay?"
"Okay." The blonde wasn't quite sure how to answer. She was nervous to say the least. What if her mom had some outrageous idea in her head? What if she tried taking half the money or something?
"So, your mom is agreeing to transfer all the money to your bank account–" she paused, causing Spencer to suck in a nervous breath. "With the condition that you officially agree to never change your name back to Casey." There was another small pause. "And she'd like to officially disown you."
Instantly Spencer felt like whatever slice of family she had left was already gone, no matter how little her mom felt like family recently. She felt her heart drop into her stomach, but took a shaky breath to answer. "So I wouldn't be her daughter anymore?" The blonde whispered, her body going cold, even with the fever. "Like legally?"
"No, you wouldn't be." The lawyer answered quietly, trying to gauge the girl's reaction through the phone. "She wants to make sure you're not a Casey."
"I'm not, I never changed my name from my ex-husbands name." Spencer explained, closing her eyes and begging herself not to cry. "Okay, what do I have to do?"
"I'll send over some paperwork, probably just drop it off myself if that's okay, and you'll just have to sign a few documents."
"I don't want you to get sick, Ashton is already here risking it and–" the blonde started, but Quinn was quick to cut her off.
"If you really want, I can leave them at the door, and I'll let you or Ashton know so you guys can grab them." She laughed lightly. "Get better Spencer. Remember, I'm here for you if you need anything at all."
"Thank you Quinn, I really can't thank you enough." She whispered. "I'll talk to you later." Spencer barely heard her lawyer say goodbye before she hung up the phone and set it back on the bedside table.
"What's going on?" Ashton asked quietly, taking the girl's hand in his. "Everything okay?"
"Uhm, yeah." The girl forced out, closing her eyes in hopes it would stop the tears. "Yeah, everything's fine. My mom is just– she's disowning me. She doesn't want me to be her daughter anymore."
The hazel eyed boy sat in shock for a moment before it registered exactly what she had said. "Spence..." He quickly pulled the girl to his chest as he moved farther onto the bed, rubbing her back and kissing her head. "I'm so sorry."
He sat and held the girl for well over an hour, unbothered by the fact that the food he had made her had gone cold, and that he would more than likely get sick himself. She needed him and that's all that mattered at the moment.
"Ash?" Spencer spoke up quietly, her voice hoarse from crying for so long. He pulled away the slightest bit to look down at her. "I'm really fucking hungry."
He chuckled, causing her to smile and laugh with him, and reminding the both of them that everything would be okay eventually. "Want to order some pizza?" He smiled, kissing her forehead softly.
"Pizza sounds absolutely amazing." She whispered, nodding her head quickly.
"I'll order the pizza, you go take a nice hot shower." He started climbing from the bed, walking towards the bedroom door. "Take as much time as you need, and let me know if I can get you anything."
The blonde smiled again and climbed from the bed herself. A hot shower would help with her body aches, and hopefully unclog her sinuses. It sounded perfect. So that's exactly what she did. She took a long, hot, much needed shower. Then forty five minutes later as she was climbing out, she noticed a missed call from her best friend.
With her towel wrapped around her body, Spencer made her way from the bathroom to her bedroom with her phone pressed against her ear. There wasn't much worry about Ashton seeing her in a towel.
"Hey Nat, I saw you called. I was in the shower." She said as she started pulling sweatpants and a sweatshirt from her dresser.
"No worries, I just wanted to check in." Her best friend answered from the other end. "I talked to Ashton a bit, he caught me up on what's happening."
"Oh–" Spencer took a short breath, biting at her cheek. "Yeah, I'm fine though. We both know how my mom is, I should have expected something like this."
"Well I was thinking. I know you still have Sebastian's last name, but what if you took mine?" Natalia suggested quietly. "I know it wouldn't make us actual sisters but it'd be a little closer to the real thing."
"Oh my– Nat." the girl laughed lightly, feeling her eyes fill to the brim with tears again. "You are the best friend I could ever ask for. I love you so much, but I think I'm okay."
"Are you sure? I mean you guys got divorced, most women don't keep their ex-husbands last name." Natalia argued, hoping to convince her friend. "And sharing a name with me... doesn't that sound great?"
"Really, the fact that you're offering means the world to me, but Sebastian is still a big part of my life I think and since it's not necessary I don't want to take the time." Spencer sighed. "Like if I did change my name after I got divorced and I was a Casey and had to change it again then I definitely would–"
"I get it, don't worry." The brunette best friend laughed lightly. "I'm glad that you're doing okay. It sounds like you're taking it all really well."
"I'm gonna be okay." She whispered. "I have you and the guys, what more could I need?"
"Are you sure you don't want my last name, Spence?" Calum laughed from their end of the call. "Spencer Hood has a nice ring to it!"
"Why not just ask her if she wants to take Luke's while you're at it?" The girl could hear the sarcasm dripping from her best friend's voice, causing her to laugh loudly. "No, no I think she's most likely to be a Clifford between the four of you boys."
"Probably." Spencer smiled, laying back on her bed and staring at the ceiling, still wrapped in her towel. "Thank you, Nat. Really, thank you for everything."
"Don't thank me. Just get better." She sighed happily. "We have a lot of celebrating to do."
"Okay okay." The girl laughed. "I'll talk to you later."
"Someone sounds happy." Ashton pushed the door open the slightest bit and raised his eyebrows at the blonde as she hung up the call.
"Just Cal and Nat making me laugh." She smiled and sat back up, pulling her towel tighter around herself. "I might not have my mom anymore, or any family for that matter but I have all of you and I don't think I could get any luckier than that."
"Look at you, being all mushy and sappy." Ashton smiled widely, looking over his shoulder. "I ordered Chinese instead, it's on the coffee table with a movie ready to go."
"Thank you, I don't think I tell you how much I appreciate you enough." Spencer whispered, standing from her bed, holding the towel. "I'll change and be right out."