I was re-watching a proposal scene from "Vampire Diaries," and immediately thought of Power Rangers Andros and Ashley. If read through to the end, I put more about what my TV show inspiration for this story was. :-)
The song "Changing Tides" by the Fray, which plays during the proposal scene from this other TV show, was also a huge inspiration for this story. Recommend listening to it while reading this story!
At night onboard the Megaship, the day Andros learns the truth about Astronema…
"Astronema is Karone," whispered Andros to himself.
He stood alone in the darkened command room of the megaship, with the only light provided by the dim navigation monitors. Andros clutched the locket around his neck, which held childhood pictures of himself and his long-lost sister, Karone. His sister, Karone, who he just learned earlier today was the evil Queen Astronema the Space Rangers had been fighting all these months. This was not how this day was supposed to have gone, he mused to himself in sad disbelief.
He snapped out of his melancholy thoughts at the sound of footsteps by the door. Standing in the entrance was his girlfriend, Ashley. The dim glow from the computer monitors illuminated her face like a halo. She looked like the angel from Angel Grove to Andros.
"Wanna talk about it?" asked Ashley calmly, their hazel eyes meeting.
"No, not particularly," responded Andros firmly with a sad, half-smile, before gazing down at the ground.
"Let me rephrase that," replied Ashley equally as firm, moving towards him. "You need to talk about it. You can't carry this all by yourself."
"Actually, I have to. Last member of my family standing," said Andros ruefully. "Every blood relative I've ever had, ever known, after today, they are all gone."
The matter-of-fact tone in his voice made Ashley's heart break. So did the way he kept trying to bravely meet her eye. Yet the sadness within caused him to keep glancing back to the floor.
"Andros…" she started.
"Look, I know you're going to say. It's not my fault that Karone was taken, but it was," said Andros, speaking more quickly now. "I'm part of the reason every member of my family is dead. I put them in harm's way."
Ashley paused, overwhelmed by the empathy she was feeling for him. She then shook her head, the sound of her light, brown hair swishing from side to side interrupting the piercing intensity of the silence.
"I was just going to say that," Ashely began slowly, stopping for a shaky breath. "Karone's not gone."
Andros blinked rapidly and then looked off to the side, weighing Ashley's words. He ran his hand through his long, light-and-dark highlighted hair in attempt to expel the anxiety inside him.
"Yeah, she is. I saw it happen," said Andros sadly but definitively. "She belongs to Dark Specter now."
"You can't give up hope," urged Ashley.
Andros smiled at his love, as her refusal to never give up was one of the things he loved most about her. He gently grabbed her forearms to pull her close, then let out a long sigh.
"I won't," he replied, finally looking at his love back into her eyes.
He grabbed the side of Ashley's face with both his hands and gazed into her familiar face, so comforting on a day with news such as this. He tenderly brushed the hair from Ashley's face. The anger and despair from the situation with Karone dispelled as he looked with Ashley, knowing they would somehow get through this together and eventually bring Karone home.
"Hey, I want to show you something," said Andros finally, treating Ashley to one of his rare happy smiles, which to her, were more valuable than any treasure in the universe.
Andros walked her to another part of the ship. Ashley was astounded to see a room in the ship under construction. The walls were in the process of being torn down, and for now in the room, all that remained was a sole dresser.
"I brought this dresser up from the ship's cargo bay this morning, before… everything… happened," explained Andros. "I'm bringing up a bed tomorrow. I'm knocking this wall out so your parents can have enough room for their suitcases."
"You're making this into a guest room for my parents?" asked Ashley, blinking her eyes rapidly in disbelief.
"Yeah, I figured they might want to come visit sometime," said Andros, smiling again at the delight of having surprised her.
Speechless with appreciation and happiness, Ashley clasped her hands together and held them up in front close to her face. Her eyes glistened with tears of happiness.
"Is that OK?" asked Andros, interrupting her thoughts.
"Of course, it's OK!" exclaimed Ashley, moving her clasped hands over heart. "I just never expected you to do this."
"Well, why not?" shrugged Andros, as he moved closer to her. "You are my family now."
Ashley sighed with happiness as she rushed towards Andros. Their foreheads touched as their hands embraced, held clasped between their chests. They both closed their eyes, enjoying the feeling of being so happy so near to the one you love.
"Hey, check it out," said Andros finally, nodding towards the dresser. "It's antique."
"Yeah?" asked Ashley, raising her eyebrows in excitement and causing Andros to once again smile at her being so thrilled. She walked towards the dresser eagerly; her back now to Andros.
"Ooo, it's beautiful. My parents will love it…" began Ashley.
Her voice trailed off as she opened the top drawer to spot a large, blue-velvet ring box inside. In such shock, Ashley couldn't move. She blinked her eyes slowly, trying to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"Actually, that's for you," said Andros quietly. "I put it in the dresser this morning when I brought it up."
Ashley picked up the box, and inside, was the most gorgeous diamond ring she'd ever seen – a large, brilliant, central stone encircled completely by smaller stones, with a diamond-encrusted band. She smiled and tears welled up in her eyes as she beheld the beautiful ring.
"I was… hoping you might wear it," continued Andros, which what Ashley detected was a hint of nervousness.
Ashley spun around to face Andros and met him with a brilliant smile. She walked towards him, carrying the box with the engagement ring still inside, holding it between them.
"Wear it like what?" she teased. "Like a friendship ring or…"
"Do I … really need to say it?" asked Andros slowly, smiling with embarrassment.
"Yeah, I think you do!" replied Ashley quickly.
They started laughing in unison, as Andros raised his eyebrows again with a bit of embarrassment. They next broke into delighted smiles with the anticipation of what was about to happen. Ashley continued to giggle in delight and again clasped her hands in front of her face as Andros took the diamond ring out of its box.
"Ashley Hammond," began Andros, smiling nervously as he tried to find the perfect words. "Will you… do me the honor… of wearing… this engagement ring…"
He was interrupted by Ashley's excited laughter as he slipped the diamond ring onto her finger.
"As, uhh," stammered Andros, as Ashley nodded, encouraging him to go on.
"… as a token of my love…" he continued.
He was so adorable, Ashley at that moment couldn't take it and grabbed him by the back of the neck with one hand to pull him in for a quick, deep kiss, as her hand with the engagement ring now on it remained entwined with his.
"Too many words, just get to the point," laughed Ashley, shaking her head.
Andros reached up with both hands to claps her face and pull her close for series of brief yet tender kisses. He breathed out deeply as her warm lips left his.
"I want you…" started Andros, stopping to kiss her again. "… to marry me."
They pulled apart, with Andros still holding Ashley's face in his hands. Ashley's expression was now serious as her wet eyes met Andros'. His face radiated with warm and overwhelming love.
"Will you?" he asked.
Ashley smiled before moving in to kiss Andros again, long and passionate this time.
"Yes," said Ashley softly and eagerly.
They both broke into huge smiles before their lips met once again, with Ashley wrapping her arms around Andros' neck and his around her waist, like they would never let each other go again.
Now that you've read it, will reveal that the scene that inspired this story was when Stefan proposed to Caroline in the final season of "Vampire Diaries."
Let me know what you think, and also, if have any suggestions for other great moments from other TV shows that should be retold with our favorite rangers!