Well just so you know, this chapter contains my first attempt to make some fluff. Don't hate me if I didn't get this right. Comments and feedback would be nice.

Disclaimer: I own the toys, not Power Rangers.


At the Command Center

"The Silver Cross." Zhane said as he pulled some information up on the monitor. "I knew I recognized it."

"What about it?" Ashley asked, interested. The events from before clearly still fresh in her mind. It was not everyday a knight in shining armor comes to her rescue.

"He is a soldier from the legion." Zhane commented as he continued to read off the screen.

"What is this legion?"

"We don't have much information about them because they are a secret organization. Most people don't even know that they exist. There have been a few cases throughout history where they actually presented themselves when people were in need of dire help. From the looks of it, they could pretty well be our saviors." Zhane sighed. "I don't know what he is doing here or if he is trying to help us but for the time being, we will treat him as an ally if he treats us as one."

"Yeah…" Ashley quietly added. She could still feel the comfort from that man. She was deep into thought that she failed to notice one of Cassie's famous teasing sessions.

"Ashley's in love." Cassie sang out, enjoying the opportunity to tease her friend. Everyone started laughing as they watched Ashley blushed.

"Cassie! I am not!" She lightly smacked her friend on the arm.

"Quit teasing her Cassie and let's head over to the Surf Shack. I could use a drink." TJ said as he pulled Cassie to one side. Ashley silently thanked him. "Maybe we could see her Red Ranger there as well." He quickly added, starting the laughter once more.

Ashley groaned as she teleported along with her friends.

- - -

Andros walked around the city, with no destination in mind. He was just admiring the scenery, or what was left of it.

"Did you see what happened to downtown Angel Grove?" Someone asked as they passed Andros. His companion next to him just nodded his head. "Thank god that Power Rangers were on the case."

'Angel Grove. So that's the name of this place.' Andros pondered for a minute in his mind while wondering.

.As he walked down the block, he saw the area covered in rumble but that did not seem to discourage these humans. Odd bunch of people, continued with their everyday lives as if they had something to look forward to.

'Foolish earthlings. When Dark Specter sets his sight on something, he will most likely succeed.' Andros thought to himself. He knew first hand from the destructive power of Dark Specter's force. It was truly something to be afraid of.

'Surf Shack?' Andros stared at the sign strangely. His curiosity got the better of him and walked inside, surprised to see what was in there.

Inside this building, there was a gathering of people, people his age and maybe a little bit older, just sitting around and having fun. 'I guess even earthlings need a place to relax.' He humorously thought to himself. He walked past a couple of tables and found himself staring at a green table with a couple of balls on it.

- - -

"Ahh. Nothing like a good chocolate smoothie after a hard battle." Carlos burped as he quickly chugged down his drink. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners Carlos?" Cassie retorted. "And for your information, it was the Red Ranger that did all the work; you guys just stood there and watch."

"Low blow Cassie. Low Blow." Zhane mockingly replied as he pretended to cover his heart and fall over. The others laughed at his antics. Zhane was always funny one and he was the unofficial leader of this group as well.

Cassie could not help but notice that Ashley was spacing out during their little joke. "Earth to Ashley." She began poking at her sides and then stop. It felt like déjà vu all over again.

"So what are you staring at Ashley?" She quietly whispered in her ears. The guys were too busy cracking up jokes to be paying any attention to them.

It didn't take long for Cassie to follow her friend's gaze. Her eyes landed near the billiards area, with a guy. Cassie blinked her eyes, checking her vision. There was an extremely cute guy standing there, staring at the pool table as if it was a foreign object. "Go help the poor guy out Ashley." Cassie nudged her friend, knowing her response all too well.

"I don't think he's having trouble Cassie." Ashley replied. In truth she was too shy to just walk up to a guy and initiate a conversation. She doesn't know how Cassie does it so well but she rather fight Horror Bull all over again before she walked up to him.

"I know you think he's cute, the guy dressed in a black tee-shirt with a red dress shirt. You have been staring at him since he walked in. Why don't you just go up to him and introduce yourself? You fight monsters everyday and this. This you can't do?"

Ashley giggled, knowing that defending their city was a lot harder than this. The truth still remains, she never done this before and she always had guys coming up to her. They were always interested in her body, never her. That was one of the reasons why she was still single. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her shaking nerves. "Alright fine. I'll go but not because I think he's cute but to prove you wrong."

"Whatever girlfriend." Cassie laughed; it was about time Ashley took some initiative. She was starting to wonder if Ashley was interested in guys at all.

Ashley slowly got up from her seat, taking a deep breath before making her way over to the guy.

As she walked closer and closer, she felt her heart pounding against her chest. 'Maybe I should just turn back.' She shook that idea off. Cassie would never let her hear the end of it.

As her feet brought her to her destination, she suddenly found the tiles on the floor really interesting. "Hello." Ashley managed to stumble out.

- - -

"Hello."

Andros looked up, breaking his concentration with the strange table. He barely heard the whisper. He found a girl standing before him, staring at the floor for some unknown reason. "Um. Hi?" Andros found himself greeting her back. He didn't know why but for some reason, this girl looked very familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it.

Ashley looked up, surprised to see him answering her back. She found herself staring into his eyes. Brown eyes meeting Brown eyes but they were somewhat different from hers. His eyes showed suffering, pain and layers of secrecy. Andros broke off eye contact when he found himself mesmerize by her eyes.

Ashley blushed a little when she saw him staring at her. "Hi. My name is Ashley. What's yours?" She shyly asked before holding out her hand, secretly hoping that she wouldn't make a fool out of herself.

Andros was taken back by her question; no one ever asked him for his name. To others he was known as MS-201, the weapon that was created to defeat Dark Specter. He was raised with no friends, no emotions, to be a perfect machine that only followed orders. He also had another name, Andros… A name he vaguely remembered from his dreams, his dreams before the nightmares took over. It was a warm, soothing voice that kept saying his name over and over. It was that dream, that name that kept him from losing the last of his humanity. It was the last piece of him that was remotely human. "Andros." He found himself saying. He didn't know why but he felt compelled to tell this girl his name. She gave him that sense of serenity. He stared at her weird hand gesture before mimicking it.

The moment they touched, they began to daze out, each feeling the connection between the touch.

'Andros…' Ashley found herself repeating that name in her head, feeling how that name just stayed in her head.

It was minutes before the either one spoke, each just staring at each other, lost in their own worlds. He quickly let go of her hands before quietly apologizing. Andros felt his heart rate increasing as he saw her eyes exploring his body. 'Why am I feeling so nervous around this girl?' Andros had plenty of training before but this was a new experience before. He felt his face turning a little red as he watched her eyes travel around his body. Andros quickly shook those thoughts out of his head.

Ashley didn't know why her eyes were exploring him all over. One minute, she was staring into his eyes and then the next; they were traveling all over his body, his tone body. She couldn't help but to notice it. She quickly looked away, blushing. "I haven't seen you before." She quickly spoke up, trying to change the subject.

Andros raised his eyebrow. "I-I mean like in town." She blushed even more, knowing that he caught her red handed.

"I just arrived in town a couple of days ago." Andros replied. That wasn't the truth nor was it a lie. He didn't feel the need to tell her the entire truth. His mission was far more important than this. He cannot afford to jeopardize it because of his own mistakes.

"Uh so do you know how to play pool?" Ashley walked over to the pool table, setting everything up.

"Is that what this is called?" Andros answered. He stared at the strange stick. Why would earthlings use a weapon for recreational purpose? He held the stick in his hands, feeling the smooth surface. "Do I use this to thing to smack the balls?" He held the stick up, like he was trying to swat the object away.

Ashley giggled. This was the first time she seen someone act like this. He had a sincere expression on his face, as if he was just a child being introduced to a new toy. "No silly. This is how you hold it." She demonstrated how to hold the stick for him, giggling until he got it right.

Andros felt his face turn a little red each time the girl giggled. He tried his best to mimic her technique, taking three tries before finally getting it right.

Just as Andros was about to start the game, he felt a little buzzing coming from his pockets. Andros slowly released the stick, setting it gently on the table. He knew what that meant. Each time that thing vibrated in his pockets, it would mean that it picked up a monster signature. "I'm sorry but I have to go Ashley." He walked up to her, thanking her for teaching him.

"Oh. Okay." Ashley answered. She was disappointed with the fact that he had to go. "Will I see you again?" She hesitantly asked. She was secretly hoping that he would say yes. She looked down at the floor again, waiting for his answer.

"Sure." Andros answered. "I'll be back here tomorrow."

She felt herself giggling like a schoolgirl when he answered yes. She looked up and smiled at him, just enjoying the moment between them.

Andros continued to feel the device still buzzing, alerting him that trouble was nearby. He started walking away but stopped at the entrance. He turned around and saw Ashley waving her hand at him. He gave her a little smile before returning the wave.

---

Ashley watched as the man she just met leave, not before stopping to take one last look at her. She gave him a little wave before watching him go. She felt her morpher beeping before hurrying back to rejoin the others. "Had a fun time Ashley?" Cassie asked, immediately jumping to her left side, grinning.

"He was so cute Cas." Ashley blurted out. She couldn't contain her excitement. She just had to tell Cassie how it went.

"Some other time ladies." Zhane spoke up. "We have to go."

- - -

"Ah the infamous MS-201. We finally meet at last." Darkonda mockily said. "I always wanted to fight a soldier trained by the legendary legion."

"I'll save you the time so why don't you tell me where Dark Specter is hiding?" Andros coldly retorted. He recognize these two from the pictures. They were generals that Dark Specter personally allowed to handle his army.

"Insolent ranger. You should know your place!" Ecliptor sneered as he charged in. He had heard rumors of this legion as well and this was his chance to finally test his skills against him. Andros successfully summoned his saber and blocked the incoming slash. The two exchange blows, none landing any successful attacks.

Andros parried the blow, allowing the sword to harmlessly slide off his saber. He quickly whirled around the blade and successfully caught him in an upward slash, sending Ecliptor staggering back. Ecliptor groaned from the slash and found the saber by his neck. "You lost." Andros coldly answered. "Tell me what you know and I might spare you."

"Never let your guard down." Darkonda shouted as he released a blast from his fingers, hitting the Red Ranger on the chest. Ecliptor took this chance to launch a surprise attack on him, hitting him several times with his sword.

Andros was sent spiraling to the floor, caught by surprise from the attacks. He could feel his chest screaming from the pain but he ignored it. He had a job to do. He slightly scooted back as he watched the two generals closing in on him. Darkonda was laughing as he was preparing another blast while Ecliptor was swing his sword around, daring him to get up.

"Freeze!" Several voices shouted, interrupting their fight.

"Looks like your friends are here." Darkonda chuckled. "No matter. I will destroy all of you today."

"Are you okay?" TJ asked when they arrived on the scene.

"I'm fine." Andros retorted as he pushed TJ out of his way.

"Hey man, what is your problem?" Carlos stood in front of Andros, demanding an answer. "We're only trying to help."

"This is my fight, not yours."

Carlos stood there, unfazed by his comment. He was not budging from this spot. This guy was as stubborn as a mule.

"You can't fight alone. Let us help you." Cassie stepped in front of him, trying to make him understand the situation.

"That's right. You can't win this alone." Ashley said as she stood next to Cassie.

Zhane sighed. They really don't understand the situation. Standing up to probably the strongest ranger here, they must be crazy but thankfully, he was crazy as well. "Whether you like it or not, we have to fight as one." He added his two cents in.

Andros gritted his teeth; they were surely testing his patience. These imbeciles, they were lecturing him about teamwork when the enemy was right in front of them. He raised his saber at them. "I don't have time for these childish games. Now move." He demanded.

"We're still here rangers!" Darkonda and Ecliptor both shouted as they focused their energies and fired as one. The beam combined into one, forming a huge blast.

Andros watched as they released their destructive energy; it contained enough power to level an entire city block. The other rangers looked in surprise as they saw a beam of light coming towards them. Carlos and Zhane immediately jumped away to safety. TJ grabbed Cassie and jumped to one side, missing the beam. Ashley grabbed Andros his by arms, trying to lift him up. "Idiot. You should have ran!" Andros shouted at her.

He could have safely dodged the beam but this person here decided to be an idiot and play hero. This is how fools die everyday; they die believing what they are doing is heroic. Those fools, there is no bravery for the dead, once you die, it's all over.

Andros suddenly shoved her back, now standing in front of her, standing between the beam and the Yellow Ranger. He didn't know why but his body just moved automatically. He could have cared less if this ranger died or not but he couldn't let himself do it. Maybe it was part of his training or maybe it was his instinct. He didn't know but right now, he only had one chance to defect the attack.

Ashley looked at the man in shock, the man who she was trying to save and somehow, he ended up trying to save her again. "Why? Why would you do this for me?" Andros couldn't answer her; he was too busy concentrating on the beam.

"MOVE!" Andros shouted, snapping Ashley back into reality and jumped away while Andros sighed with relief. He felt his mind feeling at ease when the Yellow Ranger moved out of the way. He pushed the beam back with all his might but felt himself slipping, his power falling rapidly as he pushed the beam back. He felt his saber slipping and felt that attack hit him hard. Ashley watched in horror as the Red Ranger fell to the floor, lying on the ground, barely conscious.

Darkonda and Ecliptor laughed. "Let's finish him!" Darkonda slapped Ecliptor on the back, delighted that they were finally going to destroy the rangers.

"Astro Blaster! Full Power!" The other rangers shouted, getting in a direct attack, successfully knocking them back. Ecliptor held on to his chest, feeling the pain getting to him. "You haven't won yet rangers." Ecliptor staggered forward, intending of finishing the fight. Suddenly beams of light shot down from the skies, hitting Darkonda and Ecliptor. "Next time rangers. Next time!" The villains shouted as they disappeared.

Ashley stared at the Red Ranger, his hand still holding on to his weapon, trying to pull himself up. He slowly got up, only to fall down again. Her heart aching from the pain of watching him. It was her fault that he was like this.

Andros felt his chest burning, feeling heavy all of the sudden. His body was screaming from the pain but he ignored it. He must leave this place before his identify was revealed.

He was still in an open area; he can't afford to abort his mission now. He still had a score to settle with them, it wasn't over yet. His body finally dropped to the floor, darkness consuming him once more.

Ashley was at his side immediately. She demorphed and tended to her fallen hero. She couldn't help but think of Andros when she lifted up his head, gently putting it on her lap, trying to make him comfortable. 'No Ashley. You shouldn't be thinking about him right now.' She was in for a shock when the person she was tending to suddenly demorphed, leaving his identify exposed. Ashley's eyes widened, her hands suddenly covering her mouth. "Oh my god." She stared at her savior, recognizing him. "Andros…"


So what did you think? Yes? No?