Chapter 8: The Scars

Ashley walked down the hall after putting Andrea down for a nap. She let out a sigh, some days Andrea was cooperative but today was a day that Andrea just refused to take her nap.

She walked into hers and Andros's quarters to see him walking out of the bathroom wearing his pants and she could see the faint white lines around his torso. Andros looked at her and he knew she was staring at the scars. "It's a long story…" he stated as he pulled on his shirt.

"You tell me when you want to," She replied, "Not when I want you to."

Andros sat down on the edge of their bed, pulling on his boots. Ashley sat up on her knees on the bed, pushing his hair over his shoulder as she rested her chin over his shoulder. Her arms moved around his torso. She looked at a particular scar that was on his neck, just barely peeking out from underneath his shirt. It almost looked like a burn scar. Ashley moved her thumbs in circles over his chest and he let out a deep breath. "Sometimes it feels like I'm in pain but I'm really not, it's like my body will never forget all of it," he commented. Ashley kissed the scar on his neck and Andros closed his eyes, letting out a breath.

"Andros, Astronema has sent a monster to Earth," DECA announced.

"We're on it, make sure you and Alpha keep an eye on Andrea," Andros instructed.

"Acknowledged," DECA replied.

They got up and Andros pulled his jacket on as they ran out of their quarters.

Reaching the Earth where one of Astronema's newest monsters was attacking, Andros was the first to attack. He kicked the scorpion like monster in the back, sending it stumbling towards the ground. The monster let out a growl and swung its tail, forcing Andros to drop and roll across the ground to avoid getting hit. Ashley leapt over the tail as it tried to hit her legs out from underneath her. "Spiral Saber!" Andros called out.

Ashley dodged another attack aimed at her head, holding her wrists above her head as the stinger tried to come down on her head. Andros leapt through the air, stabbing his spiral saber into the monster's back. Ashley took this chance to roll out from underneath the monster's tail. The monster snarled as it swung its arm at Andros's torso. "Star slinger!" Ashley called out. She fired several blasts at the monster, making it stumble and fall. The monster got back up and it leapt at Ashley so fast she couldn't react fast enough. It's pincher wrapped around her neck. Andros aimed his blaster at the monster, but he couldn't get a good shot without risking hitting Ashley. "Dammit!" he snarled.

Ashley kicked out with her feet, she wrapped her legs around the monster's neck. The monster released her neck and Ashley used her weight to swing down and threw the monster onto its back. Andros rushed over, helping her up. "You okay?" he asked.

"Never better," She replied, holding her throat.

Ashley pulled out her blaster. They stood side by side, firing their blasters at the monster. The monster let out a roar of pain, stumbling backwards again. The monster exploded, but then Andros was struck from behind. "Andros!" Ashley called out as he rolled down the hill. She went to go after him, but then Astronema stood in front of her and she struck Ashley with her staff.

Ashley fell back, holding her ribs as Astronema stood above her. "So, you're the Yellow Ranger," she commented, stomping down on Ashley's chest making her cry out in pain. Ashley tried to kick up when Astronema used her staff and jammed it against Ashley's leg, making her cry out in pain.

Andros grabbed Astronema from behind, sending them both to the ground. Astronema stood up, swinging her staff at Andros's head. Andros blocked it with his Spiral Saber, the sparks flew off their weapons. Andros took out his Astro Blaster in the attempt to fire at her when Astronema kicked it out of his hand. Ashley went to attack Astronema from the side when the Princess of Darkness thrust her staff into her stomach.

Ashley held onto the staff, trying to swing Astronema around. Astronema pulled the staff back and wrapped her hand around Ashley's neck and concentrated. Ashley let out a scream of pain as the purple electricity left Astronema's hand and into Ashley's neck. "NO!" Andros shouted. Andros grabbed Astronema around her neck, throwing her backwards and forced her to release Ashley. Andros picked Ashley up into his arms, his soul was laying limp in his arms. "Ashley, Ashley, wake up!" he called to her as she de-morphed in his arms. "DECA, teleport now!" he ordered. Both Andros and Ashley were back to the Megaship.

Andros carried Ashley to the infirmary. "Alpha, keep Andrea out of here," He ordered.

"Of course," Alpha replied.

Andros placed Ashley on the bed and started hooking her up to machines. He was relieved to see a heartbeat. Andros held her head between his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. "Come on, my heart, come on wake up," he said softly. He rested his forehead against hers as she stayed unconscious, feeling his shoulders sag a little. It was a trap. How could he have missed it? How could they have blindsided him again?

Andros let out a shaky breath, sitting beside her when Zhane rushed in. "What happened?" he asked.

"Astronema," Andros replied.

Zhane looked at the computers hooked up to his sister. He held onto her hand as Andros looked at Zhane. "Zhane…I'm…" Andros started to say.

"This wasn't your fault," Zhane answered firmly.

Andros lowered his head as he rested his forehead against Ashley's hand, letting out a shaky breath.

Later, Andrea woke up from her nap and she saw her daddy tending to her mommy. "Mommy sweepy?" she asked. Andros looked at her.

"Yeah, mommy's sleepy," Andros replied.

Walking over, Andros lifted his daughter up into his arms and the little girl hugged him around his neck. "Zhane…" Andros started to say.

"Go, I'll keep an eye on her," Zhane replied.

Andros kissed Andrea's cheek, carrying her out of the infirmary. "Sorry, Andros, she got away from me," Alpha told him.

"It's fine," Andros replied.

Andros carried Andrea down the hall, rubbing her back.

Andros carried her back to her room, he sat down on the chair in the corner of the room. "Why don't you, go pick out a story for daddy to read?" he asked.

"Mommy tawks," Andrae replied.

"She does hmm? What does she talk?" he asked.

"Daddy," she replied.

Andros couldn't help but smile. The little girl curled up against him as he stroked her hair. She was playing with the sleeve on his jacket when she saw the scars on his wrists. "Owie?" she asked. Andros looked at the scars.

"Not anymore," he replied.

She pulled the sleeve back to see that it was two circles around his wrist. "No owie?" she asked.

"No owie, it doesn't hurt daddy," he replied.

"Why?" she asked.

"Daddy…Daddy had a bad person hold him captive on his ship," he replied.

"Why?" she asked.

"He was a mean guy, he didn't like daddy," Andros replied.

Andrea held onto Andros's hand tightly and leaned back against his chest. "I wike daddy," she replied. She kissed Andros's wrist. "All bettaw," she told him happily. Andros couldn't help but smile.

"All better," he replied.

"Mommy kisses owies," she added.

"I bet mommy makes a lot of owies feel better," he replied.

Andrea closes her eyes. "Stowy?" she asked while yawning.

"Well, let's see, mommy's told you a lot about daddy's stories," he commented, "When your mommy and I were little, we played a lot together."

Andros started to rock the chair and it moved back and forth lightly as he started telling Andrea his story. "Our favorite game was playing hide and seek, your mommy loved to try to hide from me," he said softly, "But I always found her." Andros kissed the top of her head. "I remember one time, when your mommy and I were a little older, your mommy and Grandma Braya had a big fight…"

Thirteen-year-old Ashley ran out of the house. "ASHLEY!" Braya shouted towards her daughter.

Andros was sitting in the courtyard with Zhane talking when they saw Ashley run towards the woods. "Ashley!" Zhane called out.

"I've got her," Andros assured him as he got up and went after her.

Andros went through the trees and he found Ashley sitting on a fallen tree log staring at the opening of the cave on the ceremonial grounds. "Ash, what are you doing all the way out here?" he asked, making her look up.

"Escaping my crazy mother," she replied.

"What did she say now?" he asked, nearly tripping on a tree making her laugh as he stumbled, "Shut up."

Ashley smiled as he sat next to her. "She said she wanted me to leave the Academy, she wants to go back to Earth and take me with her," she explained.

"Well that'll never happen," he answered.

Ashley wiped her eyes. "She hates it here, and I don't know why," she murmured. She looked at Andros. "She also said she didn't want me around you," she added.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because our relationship scares her for some reason," she replied.

Andros frowned and Ashley leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his arm. "Hold me?" she asked softly. Immediately his arms went around her, hugging her close. "You know what I hope for?" she asked.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I want to see the Universe, have a great adventure," she replied, "Find someone who'll love me unconditionally."

Andros kept his arms around her. "I think that won't be much of a challenge," he assured her. Ashley closed her eyes, leaning into him.

"You're my best friend," she murmured.

"And you're mine," he answered.

Andros looked down to see Andrea fast asleep against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and placed her back into her bed. "Daddy loves you very, very much," he whispered to his daughter.

Andros walked back down the hall towards the infirmary, sitting beside Ashley's unconscious body. Reaching over, he held her hand between his.

It was late, the binding ceremony celebrations had ended. Andros hit the combination on the lock and Ashley let out a breath as she stared into the dark hallway that was their new home. As per tradition, the families had moved their belongings from their childhood homes into their own.

Ashley went inside and turned on the lights. "So…this is it," she commented. Andros was watching her with a smile on his face as her hand moved over the mantelpiece in their den.

"Looks different with all of our stuff in it now," he commented.

Ashley looked at him with a smile. "Do you mind helping me out of this thing?" she asked, "The design looked good at the time, I didn't think about how hard it would be to get off." Andros walked over as she pulled her hair over her shoulder to reveal the laces on the back of the dress. "I'm going to go change really quick," she told him.

"Take your time," he replied.

Andros watched as she went into the bathroom before Andros pulled off his celebration clothes, pulling on a pair of sleep pants. He laid back on the bed exhausted from the day when Ashley walked out wearing a pair of sleeper pants and a matching top. "I'm so tired," she told him.

"Same," he replied as she got into the bed.

Andros moved his arms around her waist as she pressed a kiss to his throat. "I love you," she said tiredly.

"I love you more," he answered.

Andros kissed Ashley's hand, rubbing her wrist with his thumb. "I still love you more," he said softly.