Wow. And now we come to the end. I have to say, it's been quite a ride. To finish a story like this—and to have such a devoted group of readers—is truly satisfying. I, too, am sad to see it end, but this just means that I can focus on new projects. So, a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of my readers, and I hope to see you on future stories. There will not be a sequel to Lifeline, but I have another Spashley project in the works.

There's a tiny bit of kink coming up but nothing too graphic.

Chapter Forty: Finale

"So, are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"Nope."

"Please?"

"Nuh uh."

"Pretty please?"

"Oh, I have you begging already? Wow, that's gotta be a new record."

"Ash."

"What?"

"Don't play innocent. It looks better on me."

"Would you prefer sexy naughty?" Ashley offered in the most velvety tone she could muster.

"I'd prefer truthful candor."

"That's boring."

"You think I'm boring?"

"No. I think your lack of adventure is boring."

"I've had quite enough adventure to last a lifetime, thank you."

"See? Boring."

"You're not making me want to follow you." Spencer threw up her hands when the brunette pouted. "Ugh, fine."

Ashley grinned goofily and bounced a little. "Yay."

Rolling her eyes at the childlike behavior, the blonde watched warily as her lover pulled a long strip of silk cloth out of her pocket. "A blindfold? Really, Ash?"

"Yeah. Kinky, isn't it?" Ashley moved around behind Spencer and covered the blonde's eyes with her hands, the cloth dangling from between her fingers. "Do you trust me?" she murmured into her lover's ear.

"Yes."

With a smile, Ashley dropped soft kisses on Spencer's ear, down her neck, and onto her shoulder. Carefully, she stretched the blindfold across the taller girl's eyes, making sure to not get blonde hair caught as she tied a loose knot. Sliding around in front of Spencer again, Ashley kissed up her lover's jaw to the corner of her mouth, repeating the gesture on the other side of the girl's face. She ghosted over Spencer's lips, smiling as the girl reflexively tried for more contact. Instead, the brunette pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead.

"No peeking."

Guiding Spencer to sit in the Porsche, Ashley hopped into the driver's seat and started up the engine. With the warm sun shining down and the air rushing over them, they rode in silence, anticipating (or wondering) what was to come of the day. Ashley's hand remained perched on Spencer's knee to make sure the girl didn't feel so isolated under her blindfold.

When she finally parked the car, the brunette unbuckled both of their seatbelts. "Do you remember the first time that you realized you were gay?" she asked softly.

The blonde smiled at the memory. "At the beach. How could I forget that?"

Gently, Ashley removed the blindfold, and Spencer blinked against the brightness of the sun. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she was greeted by the sight of the ocean. The first thing she noticed was that a good expanse of the beach, including the familiar pier, was deserted.

"Did you rent out the beach?"

"Part of it. I would've rented out the entire California coastline for you, but I figured that wouldn't be fair to everyone else," the girl explained cheekily.

Spencer attempted to hide her awe. "I don't have my swim suit."

"Who said you'd need it?" Ashley posed seductively with a waggle of her eyebrows. She quickly jumped out of the car to the sound of the blonde's laughter.

Spencer took her time climbing out of the Porsche, still marveling at the emptiness of the beach for a half mile to either side of the pier. The ocean surged up onto the sand in gentle waves. The sky was clear and blue. Seagulls drifted overhead, riding the thermals over the coast. It reminded Spencer so very much of that day the previous year.

A beach ball hit her in the head.

That was new.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Ashley called, smirking from a short distance away. "Hurry up!"

With that, the brunette took off running through the sand, knowing the blonde would soon be chasing after her, beach ball in hand. Of course, even with her sling on, Spencer still had good aim, and Ashley was quickly nailed in the back with the inflated projectile. The game continued until Ashley had to wade out into the shallows to retrieve the ball, soaking the hem of her shorts. The two retreated to their spot under the pier, and Spencer gaped at what awaited them.

A large blanket was spread out over the sand, and a cooler filled with a picnic lunch sat nearby. A cordless stereo was perched on the cement footing of one of the pillars. Soft music drifted out from its speakers.

"You're just a hopeless romantic at heart, aren't you?"

"Do we have to go over this again? Sexy and suave and all those other things that start with 's.'"

"Oh, so you're a sap, then."

"No! I'm not!"

"Yeah, pookie, you kinda are."

"Fine. I was going to give you a lap dance, but I'm pretty sure saps don't do that."

"Are you going to do a sap dance instead?"

"I hate you."

Huffing with her arms crossed, Ashley's bottom lip stuck out just a little more when Spencer merely laughed. Catching her by surprise, the blonde leaned closer and nipped that protruding lip with her teeth, leaving wide grins on both of their faces.

"Feisty, aren't you?"

"Hard to resist when you're that adorable."

Brown eyes bulged. "I AM NOT—" A firm kiss muffled Ashley's protest, and a sweep of the tongue silenced her completely.

"So what's in your cooler?" Spencer asked when pulling away from the dazed brunette.

"That sounded dirty."

Apparently not too dazed, though.

"Everything sounds dirty to you, Ash."

"I can't help how my mind works. Especially after you kiss me like that." Kneeling in front of the cooler, Ashley flipped the lid open and started pulling its contents out. She donned a bad French accent. "For you today, I have selected a most delectable French white wine. From la France."

"French wine from France," Spencer echoed, trying to look genuinely interested. "How unusual."

Ashley didn't break from her accent, though a smirk was showing through. "It is, no? On the side, we have French bread with butter. For dessert, we have fresh strawberries—"

"From France?" the blonde teased.

Ashley glared mid-sentence. "—with a light garnish of chocolate sauce. And for the main dish, I have prepared a chicken Caesar pasta salad."

"You made pasta salad?"

The brunette nodded. "Oui."

"That's not French." Spencer narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "…is it from a box?"

"Hey!" Ashley swatted at her playfully, her accent gone. "I may be rich and spoiled, but I can still cook."

"Whatever you say…Ashlé."

"You think you're funny, Spencér?"

"Not as funny as your horrible accent."

The brunette whined unintelligibly. "Bitch."

"Dork."

Ashley seemed even more offended by the simple insult. "I go through all this trouble to set up the perfect date for us, and all you do is make fun of me? Fine, you know what?" She pulled out one plate, one glass, and one set of utensils. "You're not getting any."

Spencer wasn't phased. "Is there a double meaning there, Miss Davies?"

"Possibly."

The blonde shrugged, unconcerned. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Ashley grumbled under her breath as she piled food onto the plate, throwing glares in Spencer's direction every now and then. The smile underlying the brunette's scowl became a full blown, nose-crinkling grin when the blonde leaned over and kissed her cheek. Ashley handed Spencer the plate of food, and a glass of wine soon followed.

Their meal was filled with the usual laughter and antics (instigated when Ashley started throwing croutons). The stereo continued to serenade them with soft tunes in the background, and when they had had their fill of pasta salad, the brunette pulled Spencer to her feet for a dance. At first, they were mostly just goofing around with silly smiles and playful twirls. Eventually, though, they settled into a gentle sway.

With her good arm slung around her lover's neck, Spencer gazed into brown eyes. "Ash, are you trying to make me fall in love with you?"

"I have to try?" Ashley's indignant response was met with a teasing smirk and a head tilt. An indomitable combination by any means, and the brunette's fake glare melted into a half smile. "You're mean today."

"But it's fun. You're so easy."

"I'm easy?" Without warning, Ashley's hand dove under the blonde's skirt, and her fingers dragged deliciously upwards. The blonde's gasp was not quite drowned out by the cry of a seagull overhead. "Say, Spence, did you go in the water when I wasn't looking?"

"No, why?" With an upturned brow, the brunette pointedly sucked on the tip of her finger. Blushing fiercely, Spencer ducked her head down to a tan cheek. "I can't help what you do to me, Ash," she whispered against her lover's ear.

Any intentions of further teasing vanished from the older girl's mind with that simple raw admission. Ashley turned her head and captured Spencer's lips, already consumed by the dizzying haze of want. They were driven by mutual need after school, homework, family, and interviews had kept them apart for a small eternity (eight and a half days, but who's counting?). Clothes were shed, Spencer's sling was flung aside, and the blonde pulled Ashley down on top of her, their lips meeting hungrily.

Though enjoying the demanding kiss, the brunette had other plans. She sat up so that she straddled Spencer's hips, smirking when the blonde whined in protest. Reaching over to the cooler, she pulled two containers over. One held the strawberries. The other held the chocolate.

Darkened blue eyes watched in silent curiosity as Ashley selected a strawberry and dipped it into the sauce. When the chocolate covered fruit touched her lips, Spencer's tongue snaked out to taste its sweetness before sinking her teeth into the very tip. Her eyes never left Ashley's, and those brown orbs turned almost black as the brunette watched her lover's mouth, entranced.

Shaking herself, Ashley seemed to remember what her original intent was. Using the half-eaten strawberry, she traced a line down Spencer's chin, along her neck, and between her breasts, chocolate smearing in its wake. She grinned wickedly at the younger girl's raised brow. She bent down and licked the chocolate trail up from Spencer's chest to her jaw, her tongue completing its journey by slipping into the blonde's open mouth.

Sitting back up, Ashley devoured the remainder of the strawberry, making sure to give an exaggerated moan as she sucked her fingers clean. Taking a sip of wine from her glass, the brunette shifted her hips a bit, winning a not so fake moan from the girl beneath her.

"You're such a tease, Davies."

"You love it."

Their lips sealed together, tongues meeting and mingling the sweet tastes of strawberries, chocolate, and wine. Drawing back with a smirk, Ashley picked another piece of the red fruit, but by the time she met the blonde's gaze again, she became aware of the chocolate painted across her left breast.

"Oops." Spencer maintained her sweetly innocent expression as she slowly sucked the sauce from her fingers. "Want me to get that for you?"

"Please do."

The blonde sat up, her lips latching onto the supple chocolate-covered flesh, her tongue lapping at the stiff bud. Strong fingers entangled in her hair, and Ashley arched into Spencer's mouth with a whimper.

With the ocean their only witness, the murmurs of their quiet lovemaking were swallowed by the sounds of its perpetual waves.

After packing up from their beach excursion, they drove to the Davies mansion, where both Kyla and Christine were conveniently missing. After a quick shower (and by quick, I mean over an hour of quickies) to clean off the sand and sweat (and chocolate), the girls changed into clean clothes.

The brunette watched with a strange little smile on her face as Spencer ran her fingers through her damp blonde hair. It didn't go unnoticed.

"What?"

The older girl shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I have something for you. I have to go get it, though, so I'll be right back." Ashley darted out of the room, soon returning with both hands hidden behind her back. "Pick a hand."

Evidently, the choice required a great deal of thought, and there was a long pause before Spencer decided. "Left."

With a toothy grin, the brunette held out a single, long-stemmed, red rose. The younger girl's lips curved up as she accepted the flower, breathing in the sweet scent of its bloom.

"What's in your other hand?"

Ashley bit her bottom lip with a sudden nervousness as she brought her right hand out into the open, a small black velvet box in her grasp. Spencer's expression was unreadable as she took the proffered jewelry case, only the slightest crease in her brow hinting at a whisper of apprehension. With a glance to her girlfriend, the blonde lifted the box lid.

Nestled in the black foam insert was a platinum ring, a sparkling princess-cut sapphire set between the curved ends of the band.

"It's engraved," Ashley told her quietly.

As Spencer inspected the words etched into the smooth metal on the inside of the band, the brunette anxiously searched the blonde's face for her reaction, lip still caught mercilessly between her teeth.

'My lifeline. My love.'

"Ash…" the blonde breathed out, studying the silver band. "What is this?"

"Well, here in America, we call it a ring," the brunette explained wryly. "Typically, you wear it on your finger."

"Smart ass," Spencer shot back good-naturedly. She turned serious again. "What kind of ring?"

Ashley dropped her gaze to the floor, continuing to chew on her bottom lip. Timidly, she looked back up into Spencer's eyes. "A promise ring. I decided the bracelet didn't do you justice, and it kinda got ruined by the whole prom thing anyway, so I wanted to get you something different."

"…it's beautiful…" the blonde murmured.

The words gave no comfort. "You don't sound happy."

Spencer's shoulders seemed to droop as she stared at the ring. "We've only been back a week…Things still aren't perfect yet, Ash."

"Is any relationship ever really perfect?"

Unexpectedly, the girl laughed. "No, I guess not."

"I think we can get pretty damn close, though. Spencer…" Taking the ring box back into her own possession, Ashley grasped the blonde's hand and led her to sit on the edge of her bed. "…I look into the future, and you know what I see?"

"What?"

A faint grin alighted on her features. "I see myself as a successful rock star with tons of hot girls and guys, one after the other…" She paused for effect. "…all completely jealous of you because you're the only one I'll ever want. I don't want this to end up as a high school fling, some temporary sideshow to extreme circumstance. I want a future with you, Spence. Nothing can change that." Ashley brought the blonde's hand up to her lips for a kiss. "My question to you is, what do you see in your future?"

"Well…I see myself in a career that I love…occasionally going to see Ashley Davies in concert and then going home with one of the band members for a hot steamy night of passion," Spencer finished with the utmost seriousness.

The older girl didn't falter. "Well, in that case, you might want to stay away from the drummer," she deadpanned. "They tend to be bad news."

"Who would you suggest, then?"

"I'd recommend the lead singer. They're usually the hottest one."

"Ah. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

At the same time, their poker faces dissolved into smiles, and Ashley shook her head with a low chuckle. "You know, one of the few times I was being completely serious…"

"I know, and it was creeping me out." Spencer squeezed her lover's hand. "Yes, I want a future with you. I can't imagine my life without you."

"Really?"

"Really. I love you."

Instead of replying, Ashley plucked the ring out from its foam captor, gently sliding it onto her lover's left ring finger. When the band was in place, she leaned her forehead against Spencer's. "Perfect fit."

It was hard to tell if Ashley was referring to the ring or the two of them together. Perhaps both. The blonde gazed down at her newly adorned finger, smiling giddily until a thought occurred to her.

"Hey, how did you know my ring size?"

"Trade secret."

"What, do you have a ring sizer in your cooler?"

"Spencer Carlin, you dirty girl. I'm going to tell your mother."

"You're going to tell my mother that you put a ring on my finger?" the blonde challenged with a raised brow.

A look of horror overcame Ashley's smug expression. "…never mind."

"Thought so. Besides, I can think of a better use of your time."

"And what would that be?"

Spencer took the ring box out of Ashley's hand, setting both it and the rose aside. Quickly straddling her waist, the blonde pushed the older girl onto her back, pinning her arms over her head with a smirk. The brunette hummed in approval.

"Do we still have any of that chocolate left?"

Shifting under the blonde to strategically place her thigh, Ashley tried to remember. "I think we used it all…but we have some honey in the kitchen." Neither had any intention of going down to get it. "Spence?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

Trading grins, they fused their lips together, beginning once again the intricate dance they knew so well. They became one knowing their futures were forever entwined, each girl safe in the arms of her lifeline.

Fin.