Without Me

Get you mad

''What do you mean that's it's out of your hands,'' Ashely shouted unable to keep her temper under control.

''Ash calm down,'' Marshall tried to soothe her by placing his hand over her own. That didn't happen as she moved her hand away so fast that his hand it the chairs wooden armrest instead.

He sighed as he watched Ashely argue with the head of the school. The second she'd seen the bruising coming through around Jamie's eye she'd demanded to be seen by the headmaster. The only problem was that he didn't appear to understand the complexity of the issue at hand. Ashely kept trying to explain that it wasn't just a one-off punch up, at the same time as convincing him that it might happen again.

''I'm sorry Miss Jackson, but there's nothing I can do apart from referring Mr Anderson for a week of detention. I can't expel him just because he hit one boy.''

''Whoa I think he did more than just hit Jamie, looked like he'd dragged him through a couple of bush's too,'' Marshall spoke up this time causing the head to look over at him disapprovingly.

''Mr Calderon is not your child Mr Mathers...''

''Marshall is Jamie's God Father, he has a much right as anyone to be here. Now I didn't come to discuss who can be here and who can't I came to complain about your lack of sorting out attacks aimed at my son,'' Ashely explained, she'd calmed down from her previous outburst, but the way she was gripping the edge of the seat told Marshall that she was far from being in a sane state.

''Attacks? As far as I'm aware this is the first Physical bullying I've seen, it's...'' But he stopped talking realising he was about to say something that he had hoped he'd be able to sweep under the rug.

''First Physical? Oh, I don't believe this. You mean to tell me my son is being bullied and I was never informed?'' Thankfully Marshall was able to catch her both she stood up and really started shouting at the man sinking slowly into his leather-backed chair.

''In my defence, he didn't inform you of it.''

''Of course, he wouldn't tell us, teenagers are good at not telling their parents things when they know it'll make them mad at them. Plus telling on bullies always makes it worse,'' Marshall pointed out, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could while making sure Ashely didn't leap out of her seat.

''Then if that's the case I feel as if you should have a conversation with your son and then we could reschedule.''

''Fine,'' Ashely mumbled pulling her hand from Marshall's grip so she could grab her back from her feet, ''we will be speaking again,'' those were the last words she spoke before storming out of the office, Marshall hot on her heels.

''Why didn't he tell me?'' Ashley questioned just as they passed through the doors to the studio.

''Maybe because he was afraid as to how you'd react. I mean I honestly thought you were gonna strangle the principle back there not gonna lie,'' Ashley laughed shaking her head. The image of what he had just said made her laugh.

''I'd never do that,'' Ashley pointed out.

''You're on about the strangling thing right?'' Marshal questioned before then being shoved into the lift, ''no seriously I need confirmation that you are not going to strangle anybody.

''I'll try,'' Ashley responded.

''Wait what do you mean you'll try,'' Marshall called out as Ashely left the lift before him already halfway down the corridor. He ended up not getting a reply.

***

''Ah Ashley I was hoping you'd be here,'' the door opened to reveal Paul, who had a stack of papers in his arms, ''Jason's trial won't be happing in Detroit, so um you have to decide if you're going to be able to make it or not.''

''Wait where's it going to be I don't understand?'' She questioned, placing her notebook down on the table. At the same time noticing Paul's presence in the room Marshall came out of the booth where he had been trying to lay down a couple of verses.

''Califonia, that's where most of his victims came from,'' Paul explained laying out some of the papers for Ashley to glance over. She only glanced over them because there was a lot to read and there was no time.

''It depends when the trail is. I assume there isn't a date yet?'' She asked, shifting her focus from the paperwork back to Paul.

''No not yet, but I'll let them know you're thinking about attending for now,'' Paul responded and Ashley nodded, ''I'll get on with that and I'll leave you with those,'' then he left.

''What are they?'' Marshall asked, picking up a couple of the A4 sheets to look over himself.

''Just information about the trail, Jason and what could happen,'' she explained, leaning back into the sofa, pressing a hand over her stomach.

''You ok?'' Marshall raised a brow as he came to sit down carefully next to her.

''You know we had a conversation about twins.''

''Wait you think it might be twins?''

''I don't know, but I just feel different. I mean I know it's been a while since I had Jamie, but in truth, I wasn't this sick, stressed or tired. I even look bigger than last time,'' Ashley pointed, ''I could be wrong though,'' she added resting her head on his shoulder.

''We won't know until we go for you're scan, which is when by the way?''

''Next week. I can't wait that long Marshall, especially with the Jamie situation and the murder case. I just want one thing to be a constant right now,'' she sighed turning her head so she could place a kiss just below Marshalls' ear.

''Um what about us, I proposed to you remember,'' he pointed out.

''That doesn't count though.''

''How?'' Marshall questioned.

''Because nobody knows about that but us. The other two things are no longer going to be secets.''