Title: Truth Serum is Legal With a Prescription

Rating: This chapter is probably only PG-13ish. This is due to some major drama between child and parent that may not be understood unless you're a teenager…along with some slight sexual content and slight language.

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine...I cannot claim them. They all belong to the hardworking people involved with South of Nowhere. Okay, Nikki, Aiden's girlfriend, is not part of the original cast of S.O.N. Dr. Davidson is not part of the original cast of S.O.N. either. The popular children's saying, "One. Two. Buckle your shoe. Three. Four. Shut the door. Five. Six. Pick up sticks. Seven. Eight…" Definitely not mine for the taking. Nursery rhyme. Sonny Bono and Cher are not mine; they belong to themselves. Harry Potter is a product from J.K. Rowling. "Your poor huddled masses," is actually a small part of a poem that involves Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. "Anne of Green Gables" (fabulous story by Lucy Maud Montgomery, also a t.v. series.)? Not mine. And although I mention all of those things/people in the story, I have the utmost respect for them all, including J.K. Rowling and Cher, and, well, everyone/anything.

Feedback: Yes please, I want to know what everyone thinks of this story so far.

Summary: This will be a Spashley story. Sequel of "Just Tell Me What You Want"

Author's Note: I know that this chapter may bring some personal beliefs into the picture. No matter what your opinion on gay/bisexual people and their attending church, no matter what kind of church…Please do not let this affect your opinion of the story. It was simply what would seemingly fit with the characters, in my opinion. I am not pushing religion or sexual preferences on anyone; thanks for understanding. My personal beliefs do not affect this chapter in any way.

Passages, excerpts, from the 'brochures' will be in italics and bolded. Like this. And underlined…just to better point out such things… (Note Those are not actual excerpts from any specific brochure in real life.)

Also, this is, in fact, the final chapter of this story. Le Gasp I know…Final chapter. It's weird to say that for this story…especially since it's a sequel, my only sequel. Thank you everyone who reviews. I highly appreciate it. And…as always…Enjoy!

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Guilt is a dangerously strong emotion, because once you have it, you can't forget about it. It clings to you like mist. Most people have it at some point in their lives, whether they want it or not. Paula Carlin had felt guilt a few times in her life. When she was seven, she wore her new shoes for a week before school started, against her mom's wishes. Her mother was right though; when school started, they weren't new looking shoes anymore. When Paula was seventeen, she snuck out one night to hang out with her boyfriend, Arthur. They went dancing that night, and it was the first time that she had gone dancing besides to a high school dance. Her parents never found out, even after she married him, and they would have forgiven her by then anyway; guilt lingers. But most recently, she was guilty of a crime she had committed only minutes before her teenaged daughter came home.

Mrs. Carlin had gone into her daughter's bedroom and placed several brochures on her daughters bed. They all advertised the same thing, well, they all marketed the same type of ideas anyway. There were three brochures, to be exact. One was simply about church, another was about the beauty of teenage relationships between males and females, and the other…The other was a center, one for girls like her Spencer. Her Spencer was gay…but those kinds of centers were supposed to help her. Her husband had rejected the brochures, but she put them in the bedroom anyway. She hadn't felt guilty until her daughter had walked by her and smiled. It was just a smile, but it made her wonder…No, her daughter had to be able to fix what was wrong…Surely, she was simply going through a phase…

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"A male and a female relationship is beautiful. The male will arrange the dates typically. The dates may be going to a movie, roller skating, ice skating, attending a school dance, or another type of fun outing for lively teenagers."

Spencer Carlin gawked at the first brochure on her bed. More out of curiosity than anything had she picked it up, and now she found herself in a mixture of disgust and curiosity. The brochure had to be written in the 60s.

"Church welcomes everyone with open arms."

Apparently her mother was not the church. Welcoming everyone, would, and should include Spencer, no matter who she was attracted to. She couldn't see why her mother didn't understand that.

"We are here for everyone. Send us your child, send us yourself, no matter how affected you, and we will change you back. We are here for you. Help is here."

It sounded like Spencer was supposed to be an immigrant. She was not a "poor, huddled mass." She was a Spencer, and damn it, she didn't need to read any more of those brochures. They were all full of crap. Pure crap that her mother believed…The blonde couldn't help the first tear that fell from her eye, nor could she help the second tear that soon followed suit. Three. Four. Shut the door. Fix. Six. Pick up Sticks. Seven. Eight…And then she lost track.

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Arthur came home early from work that night. He smiled at his wife as he set down his stuff on the table. Coffee mug. Car keys. Brief case. "Ready to go out tonight as a family?"

Paula's eyes looked slightly panicked as she turned to her husband; the guilt was setting in. What a worthless emotion. "Spencer won't talk to me."

"She what?"

"She's upstairs." As if to prove her point, Paula pointed at the ceiling.

Arthur sighed, pulling a weary hand through his dark hair. "What did you do?"

Her eyes narrowing, the guilt vanished for a few moments, as anger flooded through her veins. "It's automatically my fault?"

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"Spence?" Arthur rapped softly on the door with his knuckles a second time. "Spencer?"

"Not right now, Dad."

"Yes, right now." Arthur replied softly, opening the door slowly. "We're going somewhere."

His daughter's eyes were red and slightly swollen. It was quite obvious that the crying had only stopped a few minutes ago. "Who's we?"

"Me, you, and Mom."

"No," she shook her head and turned over on her bed. Her mind automatically thought of the place on the brochure. She brushed the brochure off of her bed. "I'm not going there." Mr. Carlin reached down and scooped up all three brochures. His eyes shut momentarily as he realized what the brochures were for.

"We're not going there. I promise that, Honey."

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"You sure your mom won't mind my coming over for dinner tonight?" Glen glanced at his girlfriend as they walked up the sidewalk to his house.

"It'll make up for last time. Besides, Clay's going out to dinner tonight at Chelsea's house. We have room."

Madison agreed, then realized why she had been sent home the first time. It had been when Paula had gone psycho on her gay daughter. Speaking of Spencer…Madison noticed the brunette girl sitting on the Carlins' steps. "What's with Ashley of Green Gaybles?"

"Leave me alone, Madison." Both girls snarled a bit, and Ashley turned to Glen, almost pleading. "Spencer's not answering her cell."

Madison sighed and flipped her hair. "Bad night to come over, huh?"

"Probably. I'll make it up to you though, Baby." He reached out and kissed her cheek.

"You better."

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"Arthur," Mr. Davidson's receptionist greeted him warmly over the phone. They knew each other through a mutual friend. She had managed to find them a time for that evening yet.

"Stacey, thank you."

"No problem, Arthur. Glad I could help." And with a click and curious look from his wife, Arthur was off of the phone.

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Both women had piled into the vehicle, not knowing where they were exactly going, and Arthur wouldn't take no for an answer. "What is this, Arthur? Why did you take us here?"

"Therapy. You promised," he reminded his wife gently. She sighed, and Spencer made no sounds, no motions. She hadn't talked since she walked downstairs with the sunglasses on. She didn't want her mother to see her red eyes.

"Tonight?"

"Now," he corrected.

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"Hello," Arthur reached out and shook the man's hand once they were in the office.

"Hello Arthur, Paula." Dr. Davidson smiled at all three of them. "You must be Spencer?" Spencer nodded. "Have a seat, please. Don't make me keep you standing."

"I don't have to sit on that, do I?" Spencer spoke for the first time as she gestured at the couch in the corner of the room.

"Not unless you want to." Dr. Davidson was a kindly looking man. He was around sixty years old, and he wore wire glasses. His hair was mostly gray, but he had laugh lines, which Spencer deemed a good quality in a man his age.

"Who wants to start?" Dr. Davidson glanced at all three, but his eyes lingered on the youngest Carlin. "Spencer, how about we start with you? Why are you wearing sunglasses?"

The blonde shifted in her chair. She was positioned between her parents. She admitted, "I was crying."

"Why were you crying?" Spencer said nothing, but she tossed the brochures onto the table between herself and the doctor. His eyebrows raised as he glanced at them. "Arthur?"

"I didn't give her them." Arthur shook his head; he hadn't even known that blonde had shoved them into her pocket. They were already wrinkled from her pocket, and there were a few smudges from tears on them. The doctor was kind and ignored them. He glanced at the mother.

"I wasn't really going to send her there." Paula scoffed, "Besides, it could help her anyway. I mean, she's dating a girl."

"Her name's Ashley, Mom."

Paula frowned. "Spencer, did I ask you what her name was?"

Dr. Davidson interrupted the two bickering women before any more damage could be said or done. "No, but I would have. Why didn't you? I mean, you are her mother, right?"

"Of course I'm her mother!" Paula was furious. 57 more minutes, and time was up. Tick tock.

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"The audacity of that man." Paula was still steaming, as she walked out of the office. They had an appointment set up for next week. He had insisted.

Arthur shrugged simply. "I like him."

"Because he liked you!"

"Paula," Arthur tried to be gently, but Paula snorted lightly and began to walk faster. She tended to walk faster when she was angry.

"It's true. He was completely against me."

Spencer rolled her eyes. The sunglasses were off now. "Because you're completely against me, Mom. Don't you get it? A complete stranger understands me better than you do."

"Spencer, that's not true."

"Really, Mom? It's not true? Then tell me, what is my girlfriend's name? Do you even know it?" Paula sent the girl a look, but she said nothing. "You can't even say it, can you?"

"Spencer…" Arthur tried to interrupt another fight before it began.

"No, Dad. She doesn't get it. She never will get it, and she's my own mother. She thinks that helping me means giving me brochures against who I am. This isn't a phase, Mom. Dying my hair red would be a phase, wearing a leather jacket could be a phase, not eating peanut butter would be a phase. All of those could be a phase…Falling in loving is not a phase!"

"Don't you raise your voice to me, young lady…"

"I know. I know. You're my mother, but that doesn't mean that you understand everything or even anything." They were standing in the middle of the parking lot, but they wouldn't move no matter how much Arthur tried to get them into the vehicle. They were stuck in place, facing each other. "If you knew me, then you would know about Ashley and how much she means to me. I mean, I'm still the same Spencer." Spencer paused, trying to see if any of it made sense to her mother. "Ashley was the first person that I've ever dated, that I told my feelings to before the other person could tell me how they felt about me. I was the one who told Ashley that I liked her first, Mom, not her. She didn't corrupt me. How would you like feeling left out when your kissing your boyfriend, but it doesn't make you as happy as when your friends kiss their boyfriends? I never knew that I could be that happy when I was dating someone, until I started dating Ashley. She's the first person that I've ever loved, Mom. Don't you remember falling in love? I mean, Dad was your high school sweetheart, so you have to remember it. That's how I feel about Ashley. It's not any different. It's just love. I love her. It's not a phase, and I'm not too young. I know what love is, and it wasn't what I had with any of those guys that I dated before." Spencer couldn't help the rant as it fell from her mouth. It had been bottled up so long…

Paula protested, "You just haven't met the right guy yet."

"Because I've met the right girl."

"No," Paula stepped back, but her voice faltered and cracked, as she folded her arms defiantly across her chest.

Spencer pressed on. "Yes, Mom. There won't be any guy who will make me happy like Ashley makes me happy. Did you know that Ashley wanted to wait until I was ready to tell you about us? She wasn't pressuring me into telling you, and I told you because I love you and I love her. I just want you to want me to be happy…" Tears fell down Spencer's face again. She was glad that she didn't try to put make-up on before they had left. The blonde girl would be wanting her sunglasses again soon.

Paula protested, "I do want you to be happy."

"But Ashley's what makes me happy." And, Paula, despite what she felt was right, felt her heart shatter as she heard those words. She did love her daughter. She did. Two steps forward, and her arms were wrapping around her daughter in a hug; both were crying as the father and husband looked on curiously as he stood in the parking lot, waiting for his family.

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Ashley sat nervously down on the Carlin's couch, fidgeting. "Do you think she's kidnapped her?"

Glen rolled his eyes. "No, my dad wrote the note." The note simply stated that the family, well, Paula and Spencer, and himself, had gone somewhere. They would be back soon.

The brunette thought carefully. "Can she write like him?"

"No," Glen rolled his eyes.

"I think she kidnapped her."

"My mom isn't the kidnapping type."

"That's what they all say, Cowboy. But if I don't get my girlfriend back…"

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Annoying ring of a cell phone. Glen really needed to change his ring. "Dad?" Ashley perked up. "You'll be back soon?" There was a pause. "Actually, Ashley's already here." Glen glanced at the brunette incredulously. "She can stay? Okay. Yeah, I'll call them too." He nodded, "See you in a few minutes."

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"What? Now?" Clay glanced at his girlfriend.

"What's going on?" Chelsea looked at him oddly, a bit worried.

"Yeah, okay." Clay nodded, and he hung up his phone with a flick of his wrist. Yay for family cell phone plans. "We have to go to my house. Is that okay?"

Chelsea smiled at her boyfriend. "Yeah, you've met my family. It's okay, if it's necessary. We can go now."

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Now you have, but you can always say it again." She blushed slightly, and he looked at her adoringly.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too."

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"Hey, Madison. Feel like dinner?"

"Now?" Madison glanced at the clock. Okay, it was actually supper time.

Glen nodded again, knowing that the person on the other end of the phone couldn't see him anyway. "Yeah, now. Have you eaten yet?"

"Perfect timing, Baby. I haven't actually."

"Good," he smiled to himself. "Love you."

Ashley clutched at her own ears. Glen was only a few feet away from her. "Ew. Not in front of me."

"I can hear her." Madison rolled her eyes. She complained to Glen. "Why does she think she's so important? She's not in some book, 'Ashley Davies and the Sapphic Stone,' nor does she spout a rainbow shaped scar on her forehead."

"She can hear you too. She thinks you're hilarious."

"Not really!" Ashley shouted from her position on the couch. Glen so made that up.

Glen sighed, obviously frustrated with the two bantering back on forth. "Do you two just want to talk?"

"No!" That was both of them.

Madison made it easy on her boyfriend this time, knowing Ashley wouldn't yell the following at her boyfriend too. "I love you too."

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"Hey Aiden," her voice purred easily into his ear.

"Not Baby this time, huh?"

"Don't act like that."

"Let me guess, Madison. You want another piece of me?"

She snickered. "Um, no. You're a total booty call."

"But not this booty tonight, huh?" He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"That'd be a no," she rolled her eyes. She couldn't help it; it was a habit. Stupidity brought it out.

"So, what's with the call?"

"I'm back with Glen." It was just right to tell him…She wanted to do something right for once.

"And?" He was surprised that that was all that she had to say.

"I thought you should know. So, you can date Nikki again or whatever." She shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit stupid.

It was his turn to snicker a bit. "I already am."

"You son of a…"

Aiden immediately interrupted his ex-girlfriend before she could finish her phrase. "No, Madison. I'm just a slut. You know that; I know that."

"True enough," she laughed easily.

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Paula, Arthur, and Spencer all walked back into the house. Glen, Ashley, and Madison were all standing in the living room. Arthur glanced at them all, "I extended our reservation at the restaurant tonight. We're taking the largest table they have." Then, he took his wife's hand and led her into the kitchen, away from them.

"Paula," he turned to his wife, almost shyly.
"Arthur," she murmured and reached for his hand. She had been thinking a lot. "I want to try. I think Dr. Davidson could help."

"What about Ben?"

"I don't love Ben." She didn't hesitate to say that, for it was true. Whatever she had with Ben, it wasn't love. She loved her husband.

He took his wife's hand in his own and smiled at her. "Give them a minute?" She nodded, agreeing with him for once…It had been a while since that had happened.

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"So, your mom…" Ashley strolled up to her girlfriend, carefully touching the side of the blonde's face with her hand.

"Doesn't hate me." Spencer grinned.

Ashley looked relieved. Paula didn't hate her own daughter, but…"What about me?"

"Don't push it," Glen muttered playfully.

"Hey!" Ashley turned to him and hit his shoulder with the palm of her hand. Glen and Ashley turned, wondering why their girlfriends got along so well.

Madison shrugged, "She has a good taste in music."

Spencer ignored them all, and she focused on Ashley. "My mom is trying to understand."

"Meaning, I can sleep in your room now?" The brunette grinned, delighted.

Spencer couldn't help but giggle at that. Her mom was no where near ready for that. "Meaning, I can call you my girlfriend in front of her now."

Ashley shrugged, "I'll take what I can get."

Spencer couldn't stop the next sentence. It just escaped from her mouth. "You got me, Babe." It wasn't supposed to be said out loud.

"Oh God. It's Ash and Spencer Bono." Madison couldn't help what she said either. It just slipped out, good taste in music or not.

Ashley grinned at her girlfriend, and took her hand in hers. "Ooh, I get the one-word name. I like it."

"Ash is part of your own name." Spencer pointed that out.

Ashley stuck out her tongue at the blonde. "Least my last name isn't Bono."

"It will be once you marry me." Spencer grinned and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek.

"Hello! Madison! Right here!" She covered up her face with her hands in mock-horror.

"And Glen is right here." Madison's boyfriend tried to distract her by giving her a kiss.

"I can deal with that." Madison grinned after the kiss. She really did love that boy. She glanced at the other two girls. "But really. Do they have to be so Gay-Pride? It's like they have their own little festival here. There goes a float, and there goes the rainbow. Ashley, why don't you follow it and see if there's a pot of gold at the end?"

"Only if I can pay someone to get rid of you with the gold." Ashley grinned back at her.

"Hey guys," Clay opened the door to find Glen and Spencer watching their girlfriend's bicker. "Is this what I bring Chelsea back to?"

"Yeah," Glen spread his hands and looked around the room at the six people in it.

Clay looked at Chelsea as he held the door open for her. Chuckling, "Least you're honest, man." Because, you know, truth serum really isn't legal with a prescription…So, it's up to you to figure the truth all out for yourself.