disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers, nor do I own Saryn, he belongs
to Starhawk or at least that's where I got the name from, I thought it was
cute.
timeline: This story takes place between CD2D and Lost Galaxy.
summary: Andros lost Ashley. Now he's come back for her, but a surprise is waiting for him once he finds her.
Mae; Thank you, thank you, thank you for beta-reading and reviewing.
Mariana; Of course I keep up the writing. Thanks for reviewing.
Better Late Than Never
Chapter 11: Christmas
It was Christmas Eve and everyone was gathered in the living-room of the Hammond residence. The twins were obsessed by the big Christmas tree that stood in the corner of the room and tried to get as close to it as possible, but Ashley made sure they didn't succeed. After Paige had let one of the birds that was hanging on the tree fly, Andros kept a mental wall up, so the two couldn't use their telekinesis again. At the foot of the tree a whole bunch of presents were piled up.
Everyone had decided to celebrate Christmas here and everybody had bought everybody presents. Most of them had gone on various shopping trips. Andros had only gone on one, since he and Ashley were giving their friends presents, as were Zhane and Kerone and Cassie and Saryn. The other 'boys' had been dragged all over the shopping mall by their girlfriends. That would have been the same fate Andros would have suffered if the twins hadn't saved him. They had been taken with Andros and Ashley on the first shopping trip and were angels, at least until they started to get bored, so Andros had offered to take them home. Ashley had agreed and Andros had left, but not before quickly buying Ashley a gift. After that Andros had stayed home whenever the other decided to go shopping for gifts, so the twins could stay home too.
To be able to unwrap the presents as soon as possible the next morning everybody would spend the night here. There was only one 'problem', there were five bedrooms, all with a double bed in them, and thirteen of them.
"Hey, what are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?" TJ asked.
"Why do you ask?" Ashley asked.
"Well, there are five bedrooms, one for your parents, one for Jeff, one for you and I guess you'll be sharing with Andros..."
"Well, that's quiet obvious, isn't it?" Zhane interrupted.
"Shut up, Zhane." TJ snapped. "Where was I? Oh, yeah, then there are two guestrooms and six of us left."
"Well, Cassie and Saryn can sleep in her old room and Zhane and Kerone can sleep in the other guestroom." Ashley replied.
"And where are TJ and I going to sleep?" Carlos asked.
"You'll just have to take a couch or crash on Jeff's floor." Ashley grinned.
"Not fair." TJ and Carlos protested.
The others laughed.
Ashley noticed Armin, who was trying to reach the Christmas tree again, yawn.
"I think someone's a little tired." She smiled, picking him up.
"No!" Armin exclaimed yawning.
"Well, you're going to bed anyway. Where's Paige." She asked looking around.
"Right here." Andros smiled.
Paige lay curled up on his lap, already on her way to dreamland, her hands once again tightly gripping her father's shirt. Ashley smiled and handed him Armin.
"Here, you can put them to bed."
Andros laughed, but got up, perfectly balancing the two children in his arms.
A few hours later everybody decided to call it a day and went to bed. Carlos and TJ decided to take the floor of Jeff's room instead of the couches, figuring they would be able to sleep longer that way.
Next Morning
TJ and Carlos descended the stairs with long faces. Jeff had woken them up after he had woken up himself and the two were feeling like it was five in the morning or something. When they entered the living-room, though, it turned out to be nine o'clock and the only once not present yet were Jeff and Ashley.
"Where's Ashley?" Carlos asked.
"Asleep." Andros answered.
"Great, she gets to sleep and we were forced out of our beds." Carlos complained.
"If you call that a bed, then there's definitely something wrong with you." TJ yawned.
"And you can quit complaining. Jeff is as brutal with me as he was with you." Ashley yawned from behind them. "Now get out of my way."
The two move out of the way fast, not wanting to deal with a grumpy Ashley this early in the morning.
"Poor Andros, he'll have to deal with her every morning once she lives with him." Carlos whispered.
Ashley shot him a nasty look and sat down next to Andros.
"Good morning." She smiled, kissing him on the cheek, before nuzzling into his side and placing her head on his shoulder.
"Not fair." Carlos protested. "She can be sweet to him, but not to us."
The others laughed.
"Well, everyone's here, so I guess we can open our presents now." Jeff grinned.
"I see you're still a baby, Jeff." Ashley laughed.
"Well, I agree with Jeff, I want my presents." Cassie stated.
"Yeah, Christmas is one of those days you can be a child again." TJ agreed.
"Well, then, why don't you start opening the presents?" Ashley laughed.
Jeff moved to the tree and picked up one of the presents. He tossed it to Cassie, who had Paige on her lap.
"It's for Paige. You can help her open it."
Cassie did her best, but once Paige understood the package was hers, she was ripping of the wrappings with her small hands. A small yellow teddy bear appeared. She picked it up and cuddled it. A smile appeared on both Andros' and Ashley's face.
It didn't take long for everybody to open their presents after that, Armin and Paige sometime getting help from the person that was holding them.
After all presents were opened, everyone noticed that Ashley hadn't gotten a present form Andros. Ashley noticed too, but didn't say anything. Everybody turned their eyes to Andros.
"What?" He asked innocently.
"You did get Ashley a present, didn't you?" Zhane asked bluntly.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
Andros jumped to his feet and pulled Ashley up too.
"What's going on?" Ashley asked surprised.
Andros didn't reply, but pulled something out of his pocket and sank to one knee. Carlos and TJ gasped and Cassie giggled.
"Will you marry me, Ashley Hammond?" Andros asked, opening a velvet box and revealing a beautiful engagement ring.
For a moment all Ashley could do was stare. She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out, so she settled for nodding. Andros smiled brightly and slipped the ring on her finger before standing up again. Ashley snapped out of her daze and threw her arms around Andros neck, placing a soft kiss on his lips. Andros placed his hands on her sides, lifted her up and spun her around. Ashley squealed in surprise.
"This is the best Christmas present ever."
Everybody laughed.
"Congratulations." Jeff smiled.
"Thanks." Andros smiled, not letting go of Ashley.
Armin tried to wiggle his way out of TJ's arms, so TJ put him on the ground. He crawled to his parents. Once he reached them he grabbed Andros' pants and pulled himself to his feet.
"Up." He demanded.
"Since when does he do that?" Ashley asked surprised.
"Since a few days ago?" Andros answered innocently, picking Armin up.
"And you didn't tell me?" Ashley demanded.
"Chrismas presen." Armin cried out.
Ashley laughed and took the boy out of Andros' arms. Her eyes turned to Paige, who now stood on Zhane's lap, a firm grip on his hands.
"This is the best Christmas ever." Ashley smiled, hugging her son close.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review.
timeline: This story takes place between CD2D and Lost Galaxy.
summary: Andros lost Ashley. Now he's come back for her, but a surprise is waiting for him once he finds her.
Mae; Thank you, thank you, thank you for beta-reading and reviewing.
Mariana; Of course I keep up the writing. Thanks for reviewing.
Better Late Than Never
Chapter 11: Christmas
It was Christmas Eve and everyone was gathered in the living-room of the Hammond residence. The twins were obsessed by the big Christmas tree that stood in the corner of the room and tried to get as close to it as possible, but Ashley made sure they didn't succeed. After Paige had let one of the birds that was hanging on the tree fly, Andros kept a mental wall up, so the two couldn't use their telekinesis again. At the foot of the tree a whole bunch of presents were piled up.
Everyone had decided to celebrate Christmas here and everybody had bought everybody presents. Most of them had gone on various shopping trips. Andros had only gone on one, since he and Ashley were giving their friends presents, as were Zhane and Kerone and Cassie and Saryn. The other 'boys' had been dragged all over the shopping mall by their girlfriends. That would have been the same fate Andros would have suffered if the twins hadn't saved him. They had been taken with Andros and Ashley on the first shopping trip and were angels, at least until they started to get bored, so Andros had offered to take them home. Ashley had agreed and Andros had left, but not before quickly buying Ashley a gift. After that Andros had stayed home whenever the other decided to go shopping for gifts, so the twins could stay home too.
To be able to unwrap the presents as soon as possible the next morning everybody would spend the night here. There was only one 'problem', there were five bedrooms, all with a double bed in them, and thirteen of them.
"Hey, what are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?" TJ asked.
"Why do you ask?" Ashley asked.
"Well, there are five bedrooms, one for your parents, one for Jeff, one for you and I guess you'll be sharing with Andros..."
"Well, that's quiet obvious, isn't it?" Zhane interrupted.
"Shut up, Zhane." TJ snapped. "Where was I? Oh, yeah, then there are two guestrooms and six of us left."
"Well, Cassie and Saryn can sleep in her old room and Zhane and Kerone can sleep in the other guestroom." Ashley replied.
"And where are TJ and I going to sleep?" Carlos asked.
"You'll just have to take a couch or crash on Jeff's floor." Ashley grinned.
"Not fair." TJ and Carlos protested.
The others laughed.
Ashley noticed Armin, who was trying to reach the Christmas tree again, yawn.
"I think someone's a little tired." She smiled, picking him up.
"No!" Armin exclaimed yawning.
"Well, you're going to bed anyway. Where's Paige." She asked looking around.
"Right here." Andros smiled.
Paige lay curled up on his lap, already on her way to dreamland, her hands once again tightly gripping her father's shirt. Ashley smiled and handed him Armin.
"Here, you can put them to bed."
Andros laughed, but got up, perfectly balancing the two children in his arms.
A few hours later everybody decided to call it a day and went to bed. Carlos and TJ decided to take the floor of Jeff's room instead of the couches, figuring they would be able to sleep longer that way.
Next Morning
TJ and Carlos descended the stairs with long faces. Jeff had woken them up after he had woken up himself and the two were feeling like it was five in the morning or something. When they entered the living-room, though, it turned out to be nine o'clock and the only once not present yet were Jeff and Ashley.
"Where's Ashley?" Carlos asked.
"Asleep." Andros answered.
"Great, she gets to sleep and we were forced out of our beds." Carlos complained.
"If you call that a bed, then there's definitely something wrong with you." TJ yawned.
"And you can quit complaining. Jeff is as brutal with me as he was with you." Ashley yawned from behind them. "Now get out of my way."
The two move out of the way fast, not wanting to deal with a grumpy Ashley this early in the morning.
"Poor Andros, he'll have to deal with her every morning once she lives with him." Carlos whispered.
Ashley shot him a nasty look and sat down next to Andros.
"Good morning." She smiled, kissing him on the cheek, before nuzzling into his side and placing her head on his shoulder.
"Not fair." Carlos protested. "She can be sweet to him, but not to us."
The others laughed.
"Well, everyone's here, so I guess we can open our presents now." Jeff grinned.
"I see you're still a baby, Jeff." Ashley laughed.
"Well, I agree with Jeff, I want my presents." Cassie stated.
"Yeah, Christmas is one of those days you can be a child again." TJ agreed.
"Well, then, why don't you start opening the presents?" Ashley laughed.
Jeff moved to the tree and picked up one of the presents. He tossed it to Cassie, who had Paige on her lap.
"It's for Paige. You can help her open it."
Cassie did her best, but once Paige understood the package was hers, she was ripping of the wrappings with her small hands. A small yellow teddy bear appeared. She picked it up and cuddled it. A smile appeared on both Andros' and Ashley's face.
It didn't take long for everybody to open their presents after that, Armin and Paige sometime getting help from the person that was holding them.
After all presents were opened, everyone noticed that Ashley hadn't gotten a present form Andros. Ashley noticed too, but didn't say anything. Everybody turned their eyes to Andros.
"What?" He asked innocently.
"You did get Ashley a present, didn't you?" Zhane asked bluntly.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
Andros jumped to his feet and pulled Ashley up too.
"What's going on?" Ashley asked surprised.
Andros didn't reply, but pulled something out of his pocket and sank to one knee. Carlos and TJ gasped and Cassie giggled.
"Will you marry me, Ashley Hammond?" Andros asked, opening a velvet box and revealing a beautiful engagement ring.
For a moment all Ashley could do was stare. She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out, so she settled for nodding. Andros smiled brightly and slipped the ring on her finger before standing up again. Ashley snapped out of her daze and threw her arms around Andros neck, placing a soft kiss on his lips. Andros placed his hands on her sides, lifted her up and spun her around. Ashley squealed in surprise.
"This is the best Christmas present ever."
Everybody laughed.
"Congratulations." Jeff smiled.
"Thanks." Andros smiled, not letting go of Ashley.
Armin tried to wiggle his way out of TJ's arms, so TJ put him on the ground. He crawled to his parents. Once he reached them he grabbed Andros' pants and pulled himself to his feet.
"Up." He demanded.
"Since when does he do that?" Ashley asked surprised.
"Since a few days ago?" Andros answered innocently, picking Armin up.
"And you didn't tell me?" Ashley demanded.
"Chrismas presen." Armin cried out.
Ashley laughed and took the boy out of Andros' arms. Her eyes turned to Paige, who now stood on Zhane's lap, a firm grip on his hands.
"This is the best Christmas ever." Ashley smiled, hugging her son close.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review.