A/n: All right, this is the sequel to my fic Not What It Seems. You don't technically have to read the first fic to understand this one, but I do recommend it. :-). I have split this fiction up into three parts, so this will be a 3-parter. I already have this entirely written out and everything so...I'll probably post another chapter in a day or so, then the final chapter after that. I hope that all made some logical sense, I'm trying to watch Buffy at the same time as writing this author's note.

Anyhoo, since so many of you guys requested a sequel...here it is. I hope it answers up, any questions left unanswered and I hope it is what you expected, and I really hope you guys enjoy the ending this time. Hmm, I don't think there is much left to say, but happy reading and please review---I love to hear your feedback on it. Because if my sequel sucks, I'll just take it down. Enough of my babbling, as usual enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

It was a good fifteen minutes of me pacing around Ashley's hallway. I couldn't seem to find the courage inside of my hand to do a few simple knocks. I mean how hard is it do knock on an ex-girlfriend's door? She's not just any ex-girlfriend but she's Ashley Davies: the love of my life. I screwed it up once, hell if I am going to do that again.

It has been an interesting week, to say the least. Let's start out on how I ended up in the hallway pacing around in front of Ashley's door. It's been a year since the last time I have saw Ashley or actually spoke to her. It's been a year since that fateful day in my apartment, where her and me shared our last words. If you don't remember what happened, let me refresh your memory. Because it's still very clear to me.

"Spence, I can't do this. I thought I could be your friend, but not when your with---her. I still need more time to get over what you did to me. I --- just am leaving." Ashley was extremely flustered.

"Go ahead, walk away from us again. I'm used to it by now." I watched her look back at me hurt, but what more can I say? I wasn't changing her mind tonight, she needs time and I need time to change her mind.

And she did walk away from me. She left, headed out of town and never turned back. She didn't call, she changed her number, and she erased me from her life. She moved and she didn't tell me where she moved to. I kept trying to get it out of her parents, but they refused to tell me where she went. I couldn't handle not talking to her, it killed me everyday. I sent letters to her house, in hopes that her parents would give it to her. I hope she got them, but I never got call. I probably sound like a stalker, but once I got wind of her father dying, I hired a team of private investigators to track her down. It took longer than I liked to find her, but they finally did. I just needed to be there for her, see how she was doing.

I shook my head out of our last encounter and I decided to take a deep breath, swallow all the fear I had, and press my knuckles against her door. I closed my eyes, one knock down. Okay, I knocked once, I can do it again. Come on, you're Spencer, you can do anything you can put your mind too. I knocked two more times and there she was.

The most beautiful girl, I haven't set eyes on for a year, is standing right before me. She finished wiping her eyes with a Kleenex and sniffled. She rubbed her eyes like I was a figment of her imagination. Before I could get a word out, she embraced me in a heart warming hug. She continued to sob louder as she held tightly onto my body.

I took a deep breath, and inhaled her scent. Just as if it was yesterday. I walked into her apartment with her still clenching onto my body and I finally spoke, "I would have come sooner, but--"

"I know. I'm sorry." She looked up at me as her head was still lying on my chest.

"Shh, don't be sorry. With all the money at my fingertips, it was hard, but I finally found you. But, how are you holding up?" I ran my fingers through her hair and gave her a concerned look.

"I'm---I---can't believe he's gone, Spencer! He's gone. My dad is dead. I'll never get used to saying that. My dad is dead. I've been repeating that, every day for the past two weeks and it still hasn't sunk in. And it still doesn't hurt less." Ashley let go of me and walked over to the couch. I immediately followed her and she latched onto my body as soon as I sat down.

"It won't hurt less, at least not for now. It just takes time. It won't feel real, for a while." I did my best trying to comfort her.

She wiped her tears away and looked up at me, "I wanted to call. You were the first person I thought of to call, but I wasn't sure if I could. I mean, the last time I spoke to you, I said some pretty hurtful things, and we didn't leave things well. I wasn't sure if you ever wanted to hear from me again."

"Hey, hey, hey. I always want to hear from you, you know that. But that doesn't matter, it's all in the past."

"I'm so glad you came here. I was starting to loose it. No, I am loosing it. I can't do this, Spencer."

"Hey, there are times where you probably are loosing it. But you know what, it will get better. You have to believe in that. Your father would want you to be happy, ya know? He wouldn't want you held up in your room for weeks straight. I know it's going to be hard, but I'll always be around if you need me." I smiled trying to make the best of the situation.

"You're probably right. Thanks for stopping by, it means a lot. Now, before you say anything let me get this out. I know it was wrong of me to just cut you out of my life like that, but I needed time to figure out who I was without you and I just knew I couldn't get over you if you were constantly in my life. And I know it was wrong, and for that I am sorry." Ashley scooted to the other side of the couch, she looked slightly uncomfortable.

I sighed, "It's fine. I know we have a lot to talk about, but it's not the right time or atmosphere with everything that just happened. I just wanted to make sure you were holding up fine. I can see you still got that cute head attached to your shoulders, so I should probably get going." I started to get up off the couch and I was just going to see myself out.

I was already half way out the door, when Ashley grabbed my arm. "Think you can stay with me? Just for the night. I'd really love it you stayed. It's just been me and these walls these past weeks, and I really need your company. I mean, if you don't mind and only if you have time."

I didn't speak, I just looked at her. There I go, not being able to form the English language again. She must have took my silence as a rejection because I saw her eyes grow sad and she started to speak more. "Well, if you have something to do already, I understand. It's okay. I'll be fine. What was I thinking asking, you have a life--"

"Oh, no. I'll stay, it's not a problem at all." I smiled and stepped back into her place.

She smiled back at me and took a hold of my hand, "Hey, I want to show you the place." It's hard acting like I don't want to make a move on her, or to ask her what happened to us, or if there ever will be an us again. But I figured, I'll just push everything aside and be ... not me for awhile.

"This is the most important place that you'll need to see. My room, a beauty isn't it?" Wait a second, did I just hear Ashley Davies flirt with me? Oh my. I knew she still wanted me.

"It's pretty sweet." My eyes wondered around the room and my heart stopped to find all the post cards I ever sent her tacked on her wall, "You did get them." I whispered, probably too loudly.

"I did, sorry for never writing back."

I didn't look back at Ashley, I just kept my eyes on the post cards and responded to her, "No, it's okay. I'm just glad you got them and surprised you kept them."

"Why, so surprised?" I heard the curiosity rise in Ashley's voice.

"Because over the past year we haven't talked, I assumed you just hated me. Speaking of that, I do have things to say about last year. Oh my God," I was distracted by one of the things she had pinned on her wall. I smiled as I walked closer to it and held it.

"So you got it? That was you, wasn't it? That night in the club?" I turned around to see what Ashley had to say.

Her face flushed and she bowed her head towards the floor. If that wasn't the guiltiest look ever, I don't know what was. She started to speak, "I-It was me. Yes. Of course I came to your club opening, I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

In the past year, I managed opening up a club. I thought maybe if I invested my time and money into something, I'd think about Ashley less and regret things less. But it turns out opening a club, only suppresses you're thoughts for a very small amount of time. At the time I opened the club, I was still dating Carmen and I thought it would get me away from her more and eventually push her away from me.

Anyways, back to the day of the club opening. I sent out this poster to Ashley telling her to come and showing her the times of the grand opening. I hoped that she would come, but I knew it was doubtful.

It was the day of the club opening and the line to get into my club was packed. "I'm so excited that my club is a hit! First day and it's packed! Thanks for all your help with spreading the word, Ky." I hugged Kyla and she smiled.

"No, problem. I couldn't be the sister of the club that failed horribly." She laughed. Oh, how I love sisterly bonding.

I punched her on the shoulder, "Thanks sis, now go dance your heart out with every guy out there."

"Come with me, we can do our slutty sister dance. Come on." She pulled on my hands and tried to get me to go out on the dance floor.

"You know, I kind of just wanna watch everyone right now." I smiled and to be honest I just wasn't in the mood, plus I had to keep an eye out for Ashley. I was determined she'd show.

"Oh, fine. You owe me a dance later, but what better way to see everyone in action than be with them on the dance floor?" Kyla smirked, "I'll go to the gay part of the club if that's what you want. We can go get hit on by a bunch of girls?"

I laughed, "No, thank you. Carmen would be slightly pissed. Just go dance your heart out, later I'll come down. Now, go have fun." I pushed Kyla out of my hair, she already distracted me enough. I could have missed Ashley already.

Carmen was running late as usual, but I didn't care. I was planning on breaking up with her later this evening anyways. I can't take all the distance between us anymore. Let's face it, I love her but I'll never her love her like that. I can't be with her, because I don't even want to enjoy the numb sex we often have. I hoped and prayed it'd eventually get better between Carmen and me but it never did.

I was watching everyone dance on the floor when I spotted the most gorgeous girl, who resembled Ashley to the tease. My face glowed with excitement. I made the cue to the Dj to stop playing the music, and I shouted as loud as I could, "Ashley! Ashley!! Is that you!" Every head in the club turned to me up on the balcony, but the girl I was shouting for. I saw her keep making her way through the crowd to the exit.

I ran as quickly as I could to catch up with her, but by the time I got down to the floor she had disappeared. I always assumed it wasn't Ashley, but some girl who resembled her in every way, shape and form. Because I always figured Ashley wouldn't have ducked out on me like that.

"So I have to know, and I think you owe it to me to be completely honest when I ask, why did you duck out on me that night?" I walked closer to her and sat on her bed.

She sighed and plopped down next to me, "Well, you see I came that night to the club. All dressed up, hoping to impress you because I had missed you so much, I figured if I came we could probably get back together."

What? Whoa, she needs to give me a damn good reason she walked out on me now. "But why leave then?"

She rested her hand on my leg, "I ran into Carmen before I could find you. I figured you were still with her, but I was going to find you anyways. But she threatened that she and her gang would find me and jump me, if I would go up to the balcony and talk to you. She also told me she'd hurt you worse if she caught me talking to you. I couldn't bare her hurting you, so I ducked out there as fast as I could."

"That fucking cunt. I knew it. I know it doesn't matter now, but I'm done with her. I just want to let you know, she's out of my life. But since we're being so honest. I have things to say to you and I want you to hear them, if you're ready."

I waited for her approving nod, "Of course, go ahead say whatever you need."

"I'm sorry for all the shit I did you back then. I blamed everything on my father on how he messed me up and now that I look back at it, when you told me I was exactly like my father---"

"About that---"

"Let me get this out here. When you said I was acting just like my father, you were exactly right. I was vindictive, manipulative, and I wasn't taking the blame for anything. I was pushing all the blame onto him or you and I was just playing the victim, when I knew exactly what I was doing the entire time. I'm sorry to put you through all of that. But I finally figured myself out, I grew up and I know how insanely ignorant, selfish, and stupid I was being all along." I let out a very deep exhale, "I'm glad to finally say all that to your face. I'm sorry for ever hurting you, because I hate for one second that I did."

Ashley smiled wide and showed me that crinkle in her nose, "How long have you been practicing that speech?"

I let out a laugh, "Longer than you think."

"Well, hey I'm getting hungry. What do you say, how about you get yourself dressed and we find something to eat around here." I stood up and refused to take no for an answer.

"All right, you win. I'll come eat you---oh my God, I meant with you." Ashley blushed and then ran into her bathroom to change.

I'm glad her mind is still in the gutter, because that is exactly where mine is right now. I would definitely not mind Ashley, let's say having me for dinner. All right, stop thinking like that. She hasn't hinted the least bit at us getting back together. What am I doing here? Am I just standing here getting all my fucking hopes up? Probably, I guess I should just see it as it is...us being friends. Ugh. We've like never been friends, only girlfriends. I'd rather have her in my life than nothing at all I suppose.