Chapter 21: Fear of Loss

Ashley walked down the hall when she heard Jack gurgling and she went to Andros's quarters. She looked into the room to find Andros sitting on the floor with Jack laying on his back gurgling as he dangled a toy in front of him. Jack grabbed the toy and he started chewing on it. "I know I scared your mom the other day, but she just can't know what's going on with me. If I tell her, Dark Specter will be sure to kill her," he murmured.

Andros picked Jack up and he sat down on the bed. "Here can daddy show you something?" He asked. He set the baby down on the bed and he pulled back his sleeve. "See that? Daddy's in a lot of trouble, Jack, in a lot of trouble. Dark Specter uses this to call his servants back and I'm one of his servants. He'll stop at nothing until I'm back under his rule," he explained. Jack placed his hand on the still glowing tattoo. "I'm able to fight off, but I'm not sure for how long. The darker the tattoo gets, the more evil I become," he added.

Ashley leaned against the wall feeling her heart break with every word he said. She forced back her tears and she took a deep breath. She turned and she went into the room. "Why didn't you tell us?" She asked. Andros looked up.

"I couldn't…" he started.

"Why?"

The tears were showing in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell us what Dark Specter is doing to you?" She asked.

"Because the last person I told ended up dead," he replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"When I was eight, a year after Darkonda took me, before they brainwashed me. I escaped the Dark Fortress."

(Flashback)

Andros looked around frantically as he tried to find a way out. "FIND THE BOY!" He heard Ecliptor shout. Andros swallowed the lump in his throat as he ran to the console and he pushed the button he saw them use a few times. "STOP HIM!" Ecliptor shouted. Andros turned around when Quantrons came charging at him, but then he disappeared in a white light.

When Andros woke up, he found himself on a cot. "Easy, you got a bump on the head," a voice told him. Andros looked up when a woman walked over to him and cleaned the cut that was on his head.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"You're on the planet Lorando. My husband found you in a field," she replied.

Andros struggled to get up and he felt a sharp pain rush through his wrist. He looked down to see the tattoo on his wrist glowing. "I'm Quinn," the woman informed. Andros covered his wrist.

"Andros," he answered.

(End Flashback)

"They took me in and they took care of me. I kept a cloth wrapped around my wrist so they wouldn't see the tattoo, so they wouldn't know who I'm being forced to serve," he explained. Ashley sat down on the bed and she held Jack while Andros was talking. "Everything was okay for a few weeks. I ended up telling them about the tattoo and they promised not to let anything happen to me," he started.

(Flashback)

Andros gathered some wood that they needed and he looked up when he heard noises coming from the trees. "No…" he whispered. Quinn and her husband, Jerod, came out holding out their blasters.

"Andros, you better get out of here," Quinn ordered.

Andros stared at them. "GO!" Jerod shouted. But before he could even take a step, someone grabbed him from behind.

"NO!" Andros shouted.

"You'll be returning with me, my prince," Ecliptor informed.

Andros watched in horror when he saw the Quantrons kill Quinn and Jerod. "NO!" He shouted.

(End Flashback)

Ashley set Jack in the crib that was on the other side of Andros's room and she walked over to him, holding his hand. "I'm not losing you like I lost Quinn and Jerod," he insisted. She placed her fingers on his lips.

"You won't lose us," she assured him.

Andros stroked her face and he pressed his forehead against hers. "I have a confession to make," he murmured.

"What's that?" She asked.

Andros stroked her cheek and he just looked into her beautiful brown eyes. "I'm in love with you," he replied. Ashley smiled and she placed her hand on his chest. "I mean, before I was brought on this ship I thought I was in love with you before…" he started.

"But all you saw was a pretty face and a girl who's able to carry an heir," she finished.

"Yeah…and now that I know you…now I know that I'm in love with you. The whole funny feeling in the pit of in my stomach, where I can't stop thinking about you, the whole thing."

Ashley smiled. "I love you, Ashley," he told her. She sighed and she held his hands. Andros bit his lip, almost feared to know if she did or didn't feel the same way.

"I had the right reason to hate you. I hated you so much for what you did to me…" she started.

Andros felt his heart plummet to the pit of his stomach with those words. "For months I hated you. All the months I was pregnant with Jack I hated you. The way you stalked me, trying to take Jack from me," she explained. Andros wasn't liking the sound of this at all and he let her go. "During the past couple of months…" she started. Andros looked up at her. "I see you in my dreams. When you're gone more than ten minutes out of the day, I can't stop thinking about you. Your smile makes everything alright…" she trailed off. Ashley took a step closer to him. "I love you," she added. Andros's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You do?" He asked.

"Yeah, I really do," she replied.

Ashley reached up and she stroked his face. Andros placed his hand over hers before leaning forward and kissing her deeply. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He picked her up and he set her down on her bed, but then Ashley pushed him back. "Wait, wait," she insisted.

"What?" He asked.

"We can't do this here."

"Um…why not?"

"The baby."

"What about him?"

"I just don't feel comfortable doing this with him in the room."

"What do you suggest?"

"My room."

Andros smiled as he helped her up and they went to her room.

(Ashley's Room: A Few Hours Later)

Ashley sighed as she placed her head on his chest, listening to his quickening heartbeat go back down to it's normal pace. She ran her hand over the scar that started at his left shoulder and ended at his right side. "War wound," he murmured. Ashley looked up at him with a quizzical look.

"War wound?" She asked.

"Yeah…" he trailed off.

Ashley kissed his shoulder and she held onto his hand. "I love you," she murmured.

"Ashley…" he started.

"Yeah."

Andros reached into his jacket that was laying by the bed and he pulled out a box. "I wanted to give this to you earlier, but we were kind of distracted," he commented. Ashley smiled as she opened the box to find a necklace in side.

"Andros…" she trailed off.

"I was told the gem was a rare gem from KO-35," he answered.

Ashley held the necklace with a smile. "And…well…I can't afford one of those rings that you Terrans use," he added. She gave him a quizzical look. "Ashley…after all this is over…will you marry me?" He asked. Ashley smiled through the tears that had formed in her eyes.

"Yes," she replied.

She hugged him tight with a smile. "Yes!" She repeated. Andros hugged her back and he kissed her shoulder. She pulled back and she handed him the necklace, sitting up, and she held the blankets to her chest. She turned her back to him and with her free hand she lifted her hair up and Andros placed the necklace around her neck. He kissed the back of her neck and she turned around in his arms and she kissed him deeply.