Ashley was still smirking at him, quiet honestly her cheek really hurt.  But she wouldn’t give Taylor the satisfaction that his punch hurt her.  He finally got into his car offering Paula one last smile as he drove off Arthur closed the door.

“What a nice boy.” Paula smiled to herself.  Everyone simply ignored her statement.  All retiring to there rooms each wanting to change back into comfortable homely clothes and hide away there new presents.  As Spencer and Ashley entered their room the door clothes behind them.  As soon as it was shut Ashley rubbed her cheek tenderly and let her frown show. 

“Baby what’s wrong?”  Spencer caught were rubbing the forming bruise.

“Nothing.” The brunette whispered.  She never liked being vulnerable to people.  That was what made her relationship with Spencer so hard sometimes.  She hated showing when she hurt, when she was bare she felt vulnerable.  So she always had to be in control.  It took Spencer years to pry open the gates to her.  And Spencer was the only person she ever allowed to see her vulnerable.

“The punch just…kinda hurt.”  The musician told her wife looking down at her legs.

“Oh Ashley.”  Spencer said, the pain she felt for her wife evident in her voice, and in the crease’s across her forehead.  She leaned in and tenderly kissed the brunette’s bruising cheek. 

“Thank you for that.”  The blonde said lovingly to her wife.  Ashley kept quiet.  She may let Spencer in but she still didn’t like being vulnerable to people. 

“I’ll go get you a warm egg to roll on that okay love?”  Spencer kissed Ashley’s cheek sweetly again and walked down stairs.  Leaving the brunette to examine her “battle scar” in the mirror. 

————-

Downstairs

Arthur was preparing a late lunch by then.  Something simple, the house was slightly tense at the moment and he was a man that liked to cook for the mood.  Glen was explaining to Morgan how every Christmas didn’t usually end up in fist fights at the Carlin’s residents.  Clay and Chelsea were explaining to Christina and Zak that Auntie Ashley hadn’t done anything until she had to.  To remember that violence is NEVER the answer to anything and that the strange man was a very bad example.  Paula was still mad at him for making Taylor leave.  But who could blame him, that guy had been annoying ever since he arrived at his house.  His rudeness, how he treated his family, he never once tried to socialize with them like he wanted to know them.  The only reason he ever talked was to say something rude, or something that he in no way respected the way he said it.  He heard the fridge door opening, turning his head to find the bottom half of his daughter’s body sticking out from refrigerator.