Disclaimer:

Tal: Come on Chrisy Chrisy Chrisy! ;holding a razor and smirking evilly;

Chris: ;glares; what do you think you're doing?

Tal ;shoves Chris on the wall; I want a hairless Andros on my fic! ;snickersevilly;

Chris: Noooooooo ;starts running;

Tal: Chris! ;Chris turns to Andros;

Andros: Let's Rocket! ;morphs and chasing after Tal with his spiral Saber;

Tal: Damn.

Not mine ;

What's Left of Me
By DarkHonda aka Tal

PRiS AU

Chapter 10: chiseled

A big explosion was heard and Andros fell on his face, his hands trying to soften his landing. His Spiral Saber was far from his reach and the other rangers fighting a monster in another section of Angel Grove. He was beaten, yet not defeated; He had to get up, no matter what, he wouldn't let Anstronema the pleasure of defeating him, alone. Not when he was clearly much more of a competent fighter than her, he struggled to get up as she came near and pointed her wrath staff at him.

"So, red ranger, had enough? Surrender!" she yelled and his heart beat courageously, as if to prove her that he's not scared, that good will win. 'Eventually, that is,' he mused.

"I'll never surrender!" he cried out almost expectedly. "The good always wins, Astronema!" he told her and flipped backwards, avoiding her electrifying staff. He used the thrust of his flip and jumped, avoiding the explosions from her staff as he was running to his Spiral Saber, grabbing it. Now, armed again he stood in a defensive pose and waited for Astronema to strike again, with his Spiral Saber, he knew, he could do anything.

He fought sword to staff with Astronema now, both equally strong and equally competent in sword fighting skills, yet it was a matter of time until one of them would subdue the other, and it was Astronema who was stronger this time. She caught a hold at the red ranger's neck, strangling him forcefully.

He was choking slowly, her evil hand denies the oxygen from his body… he knew there would be no rescuers for him, the others were fighting that monster in another region in the city. 'It's up to me if I live or die,' he told himself and even though death seemed like a better option he knew he mustn't give up, 'Ashley wouldn't want me to die,' he thought and desperately tried to slash his opponent with his saber. Astronema gasped and let go of him, holding her shoulder while he fell to the ground.

"You will pay for it, red ranger!" she yelled and charged at him ruthlessly, her staff ready to strike. 'Ashley? I'm doing this for Ashley?' he wondered as he risen from the ground on his feet again, 'Great one, Andros, go distract yourself with Ashley in the middle of a fight!' he encourage himself mockingly and readied himself for another honing of sword and staff.

Again they fought, tiring themselves both, the fighting wasn't leading anywhere as they were equally matched. Yet somehow he felt a surge of power and slashed her on the chest and almost didn't notice the locket on her neck that ad a result from the hit fell to the ground. She held her chest, he obviously hit her hard, backing off immediately, she disappeared, leaving behind shimmering purple sparkles.

Panting he reached for the locket, clutching it in his hand, it was small and cold, his hands closed on the locket completely ad he felt its familiar shape. He couldn't help the feeling that somehow, it felt like it belonged with him. He looked at the locket, examining its form and feeling its texture.

'It looks familiar,' he realized and opened it, horrified to find out that… there was a picture of him inside!

He teleported himself to his room and didn't go out until night.

Late that night, Megaship
Ashley wheeled herself to the Simudeck. It was way pass the team's usual curfew; the others had been asleep for quite a while now, after fighting their hardest battle yet. Andros, she knew, was fighting face to face with Astronema whereas the others successfully beaten the monster who injured her.
The fact her legs refused to heal might had to do with the unreasonable splitting of their team in fighting, she couldn't fight alongside them. She couldn't protect the earth with them. She couldn't even train.

'What's the use in being a Power Ranger when I can't even protect my own room!' she thought bitterly every time they went off to battle without her. It was horrible watching them in battle, watching them getting hurt with knowing that if she was there, she could prevent it. 'If not all, then at least a little,' she pondered while wheeling her way to the Simudeck.
She remembered how Cassie told her thoughts like these were useless, 'Just like me.'

When she entered the Simudeck she saw Andros, in the middle of a fight.

He was fighting tons of Quantrons, armed ones and didn't notice her, concentrating solely on the fight. She watched him, evading from one blow just to give another of his own, blocking a blow and immediately kicking the Quantron. He never compromised on just hurting them, he defeated each and ever Quantron who stood in his way.
He looked just a bit tired, but kept on fighting ruthless. Much like a dancer, his movements were so accurate and smooth, and she was impressed. Very impressed.

'He has to be tired, she noticed, and his tiredness was growing with each block and every counter strike. Yet he didn't stop, 'Why wouldn't he stop for a moment?' she wondered, the question started fading with the sight of his doings...

He was sweating heavily, his red shirt all wet and his hair damp but he kept fighting, "DECA increase level of training," He ordered quietly and somehow managed to take off his shirt.

She melted; his arms were rippling with muscles, strong and yet gentle, she knew, so gentle...she was mesmerized to his body; his chest was almost hairless except from a little mob of thin hair on his chest bone, it was almost chiseled and his abdomen flat and muscled. He was so masculine that she melted on the spot. Sighing heavily yet silently, she enjoyed the view, perfection yelled from every muscle and tip of skin in his body. 'Probably because it's not the first time he trains like this.' She mused while watching him with a smile; he was so handsome it hurt.

It was the contrast between his masculine hard looks and his softness and gentle touch that melted her. 'How can such a man exsist?' she wondered.
All she wanted to do it to grab him and kiss him right there, but she couldn't; Something changed about him, over night he became different, suddenly quiet, indifferent and shy. He now rarely looked at her and ignored her presence as much as he ignored everyone else in the team, even Zhane. It was a major change and it hurt her. Only yesterday he was kissing her goodnight and now…?

'I just… I wish he would tell me what's wrong,' she thought frustrated, 'because something is clearly not right.' She knew, but somehow she had the feeling none of it is going to happen because after all, he is Andros.

Half an hour of watching later…
He was still fighting. Not giving up despite the fact that now he was very tired and fighting two monsters at once, the first in a hideous form of a rat and the other the exact clone of that gruesome giant monster that broke her legs two weeks ago.

The amazing fact was that he still hadn't morphed! She was fascinated with his courage, his seriousness and devotion; he fitted exactly to the part of the red ranger, fearless, devoted, strong, hard headed leader.

'The power chose right,' she thought with a smile and yawned; it was getting pretty late now, too late for her to be up, 'It's time for a midnight nap.' She told herself and giggled quietly. But when she was about to leave, she realized he's about to fall into a trap and before she could say anything he had already fallen and right before the two monsters were to strike, Andros said quietly: "DECA, end simulation".

He continued lying there, shirtless and sweating, looking at the ceiling, desperately.

Suspicion ran through her. 'What was the matter with him?' she thought, noticing how concerned and introverted he was (more than usual, that is). Her gaze couldn't leave him, even though she was exhausted and wanted to go to bed, something drew her to him.
'What happened to you, Andros? Why are you so shy and moody all of a sudden? Is there more than I can see?' she asked him in her heart.

He slowly reached into his training pants' pocket and pulled out a locket and clutched it in his palm. His eyes were closed and Ashley had a feeling they were closed to prevent tears from bursting out. She could feel how anguished and lonely he was, the way he closed his eyes, strongly shutting his eyelids, told her something else: how close he was to his breaking point.
She didn't know what happened and part of her didn't want to know, 'what a terrible thing could have happened to make such an amazing person so broken?' she wondered. In a flash of a second her own emotion flooded her, a warm butterflies-in-belly feeling, and the next thing she knew was how desperately she wanted to make him feel better, to be there for him.

When he opened his eyes, he looked at the locket at his palm and opened it. After a moment he rose, "Good night, DECA." He told her.

"Good night, Andros." She answered and he turned to the Simudeck's door and it was only then, that he saw Ashley. He stopped dead, looking at her. Finally looking at her. He felt relieved somewhat, it felt darn good looking at her.

"Ashley!" he said quietly though his voice waved a bit with surprise. After a silent pause he dared asking, "How long have you been sitting there?" his voice sounded hesitant, fearing of her reaction if she got to see with whom he was fighting.

"For a while now," she answered, "Andros, I…" she said slowly, wondering how to put it out, "I keep wondering why you are so…" she stopped, not able to look in his hazel eyes anymore.

"Ash..?" he asked, lifting her chin up so she was looking straight into his eyes. He didn't know how or what made him dare doing so. He wasn't like that, he wasn't the girls' favorite, they always preferred Zhane, Xenor or Taar for somewhat reason they had. He lacked Zhane's looks, TJ's coolness, Carlos' small talk skills or even Alfa's "Ayayay".
He was just dull old Andros, who could've loved him? How could he love someone? Especially now, when he discovered that…he was so afraid she would reject him, not because of what he is, but because who he is.
'Look at yourself!' he told himself, 'look who is your sister! Look how hypocritical you've been acting! Fighting your own sister, claiming to be eternal good and still you're sister, twin sister, is the essence of all evil!'

"Andros," she started again, now encouraged from his touch and closeness to her, "I… feel your pain and I can't just let you being hurt. You keep yourself locked away someplace, where we can't reach," and then added quietly, "where I can't reach."

There was a long silence between them, Andros avoided her begging look and stared at his hands, pondering this possibility. Could he tell her? 'If I tell her,' he thought, 'she would run away from me. They all would.' And they were important to him, with time he learnt to accept them and to love them for whom they are, and now he couldn't lose them. They were his family, more precious than his Karovan blood relatives, and he wouldn't stand them hating him and leaving him. He wouldn't, he loved them that much.

"You should go to bed, Ashley." He said quietly, preferring pain and silence over shame, over being stranded, 'and besides, who would want such a hypocrite as a friend?' he wondered.

"I shouldn't," she insisted, "and I won't."

"Then I should go," he paused for a moment, examining her reaction. She still tried to look him straight in the eye, but he avoided her gaze and stared at his feet. "Good night, Ashley." He said and started walking away. Before leaving he glanced at her for one last time, sitting in her wheel chair, looking outstanding in her pajamas: red training pants that, he knew, hid beautifully shaped legs, and a yellow tank top which exposed perfectly flat abdomen.

In the exact moment he passed the Simudeck's door he ran into Zhane.

"Sorry, Dros." Zhane apologized grinning. "What were you doi-" he stopped in mid-sentence, noticing Ashley who was just behind Andros.
'This is strange,' Zhane thought, 'late at night, Ashley and shirtless Andros in the Simudeck..? What are they up to?' he wondered and pushed Andros back to the Simudeck.

"Hey Zhane," Ashley greeted when they walked into the Simudeck together.

"Hi, Ash, care to explain what the two of you are doing in the Simudeck, late at night with Andros shirtless?" Zhane was smirking, amused of Andros expression.
Andros frowned and looked like he was about to groan with frustration, or was he about to hit Zhane furiously?
Ashley, on the other hand, was smiling at him, blushing slightly, Zhane recognized the tiredness in her eyes, yet knew better than to let the two slip away with it.

"Well?" he asked them.

"It's none of your business. What are you doing awake this late at night?" Andros snapped, he was tired both mentally and physically. Why did Zhane refuse to accept it and let him go?

"Andros, have you been a bad boy?" Zhane asked him telepathically, practically laughing in his head and avoiding Andros' question.

"Can you shut up and let me go to bed?"

"What are you and Ashley up to?"

"There's nothing going on between Ashley and me. It's late and I should be up early in the morning. I have to search Karone." Andros answered telepathically, irritated to the bone, lying... Wasn't dealing with Ashley enough for one night? Now he had to provide answers to Zhane as well?

"Good night, Ashley, Zhane." He said with a dangerous tone, warning to them both not to follow him to his room or dare keeping him on the Simudeck. He walked quickly pass them straight to the Simudeck's door and disappeared behind it.
Still at the corridor, easing his steps he could hear Ashley's laugh, was she laughing at him? Was he that ridiculous in her eyes?

He found himself in front of his room, he dialed the access code and entered. As the door was closed, he was leaning against a bare wall, not troubling to turn on the lights.

None of them knew what that locket meant and none of them ever will, he didn't want them to. He didn't need their help or reassurance that everything will be alright when he knew perfectly that it won't be. He didn't need their pity or sympathy, he was fine with it. 'Reality should be accepted' he thought while trying to command himself and leaning his head against the wall. 'And I will accept and reconcile.'

Now he dropped himself on his bed, he face sunk in the pillow, how could he stay in one piece when all of this internal fight surging through him? He felt like he was torn, eaten from within himself. He was somewhere between being furious with himself for not protecting her and being a total wreck, almost crying, slightly whimpering.

'If she is my sister, I would deal with it' he decided, not knowing what to think or do. 'If she is my sister, then it means…Oh, God…How could I been fighting with my own sister? How could I hurt her?' his thoughts tortured him and he closed his eyes in pain, trying to prevent the tears. But the pain was flooding him wholly.

The next day
Andros was sitting numbly next to the table in the holding bay, the idea of food repulsed him, yet he didn't know what else he could do. He was sitting there, alone, a shadow of himself, so tired and quiet.
Steps were heard along with a happily chatter, Andros closed his eyes, 'here it comes…' he told himself and tried to look okay as Zhane and Ashley entered the holding bay for breakfast.

"Good morning," Ashley said smiling, her smile vapored as she saw Andros' face, "what's wrong?" she asked him, worriedly.

"Nothing," he answered dully, 'what's with them anyway?' he thought grumpily, frowning.

"Are you sure? It sure looks like something to me," she said, smiling her little cheer up smile, Andros groaned silently and nodded. He diverted his gaze from the table to a distant point mear the jumping tubes.

'Stop, don't think of her!' he told himself, 'she is pure and good and you are a useless incompetent man, who can't protect his own sister, who can't recognize his own sister! Do you really think you're worthy of that pure sweet yellow ranger?' he asked himself bitterly. 'No, ' he answered himself, 'I can't impure her, I can't be friends with her.' He decided, 'I would never be friends with her, because all there can be between us is…' his closed his eyes painfully, and felt her hand touching his shoulder, comforting him.

"Andros?" she asked gently, bending forward, to lean on him a bit, he quickly and gently shoved her off, looking confused.

"You were saying?" he gazed at Zhane, almost sounding completely interested. Zhane looked at him oddly, not understanding what's wrong with his best friend yet promising himself mentally to ask him about it later.

"Ashley and I are going to the park, want to come?" Zhane smiled and his eyes looked at Andros dreamily, "She promised to buy me ice cream and watch me play the Power Rangers video game in the Surf Spot. Last time I got her Turbo powers and it was galactic!" Zhane exclaimed enthusiastically. Andros rolled his eyes in protest to Zhane's childish enthusiasm, he got up and left the holding bay silently.

"What's with him?" Ashley asked, a bit annoyed of the fact Andros has rejected her in every way possible. Andros behavior hurt her and she didn't realize what triggered the change of behavior.

"Nothing, he's just in one of his 'I'm-going-to-save-the-world-someday' moods, he'll lighten up until we get back, let's go!" he urged and she smiled and said sweetly, "DECA, teleport two to Angel Grove park," after a second they both teleported to the park leaving behind silver and golden sparks.

Angel Grove park
At the park, Zhane and Ashley walked (and wheeled) slowly, enjoying the nice weather. The lake looked amazingly beautiful that day and the sun was whispering on their bodies.

Ashley remembered how they immediately bonded when Zhane woke up from his cryogenic sleep. Becoming friends was natural for them since they were both easy going, funny and optimistic; it was all too expected for them to be best of friends.
She was happy to know Zhane, he was interesting and much more of a talker than his best friend. He somehow knew to read her like an open book, and immediately detected her likeness of Andros and never stood on their way. Ever. He helped her understand his Stripey mate and always encouraged her to get close to Andros (when he wasn't too busy disturbing their kiss). She liked his childish sense of humor and behavior; there was something so delightful and innocent in his mischievous deeds, as wicked as they could be.

Suddenly Ashley shot up from her thoughts to a strange feeling that came slowly from… she couldn't believe it, 'Finally! Finally it happens! After two weeks of torture!' she thought excitedly, 'my legs!' she wanted to cry, 'I can feel my legs!'
"Zhane!" she called and stopped her chair from wheeling around, Zhane stopped as well and looked at her curiously in his so-Zhane-like character.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he saw the tears that were glittering on her cheeks, "Ashley, why are you crying?" he asked and knelt down to her. She shook her head.

"Zhane stand up please," she asked, her voice unsteady, "can you please help me pull myself up?" she asked and realization dawned in his blue eyes. Smiling he stretched out his hands and help her to push herself up. His hands were on her waist, steadying her and supporting her until she got used to her weight again.

"Do you want me to leave you?" he asked after a minute and she nodded, still crying. He slowly pulled his hands back, letting her stand. She was crying even harder now, and Zhane found tears in his eyes too. "Can-can you try to walk?" he asked and she tried to make a step but fell, he immediately jumped and caught her. They both laughed. "I know it's only standing, Ashley, but I hope it'll get better now that you can stand," he told her with a smile hugged her tightly.

They haven't seen the bright red sparks that were shimmering behind a tree near by, they couldn't see the betrayed look on his face and the anger that flooded his senses when he was teleported to his room.

"Thanks, Zhane, for everything…" she whispered and Zhane laughed as they parted.

"Let's get back and tell everyone! It's a reason for a party!" he said, "Megaship style!" they both laughed and quickly wheeled (and walked) themselves to a safe palce where they could teleport to the Megaship.


A/N: I hope you enjoyed chapter 10 (it wasn't easy writing it, you know)! Don't forget to review and tell me if you liked it! Was it too long? I thought so, what do you think?let me know!