Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter fifty-four of "Not Here." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. This chapter has some Andros/Ashley. The next one will feature the first appearances of Zack, Trini, and Kim. Kelly may also appear. It's likely she will be a college student as she was thirteen when she appeared in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The first appearances of Ashley's grandparents, her aunt, and TJ's grandfather may occur in the two chapters after the next one. Stay tuned for chapter fifty-five.

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Chapter 54: A Night with a Food Craving

At the Johnson residence in the mid-evening, Andros and TJ were sitting on their beds while reading their music notes. The former mumbled inaudible words and turned to the eighth page. The latter turned to the tenth page. He straightened his green t-shirt.

Andros clicked his tongue four times. He learned that TJ and Ashley had told their parents about what Johnny did when they called him one after the other during his break. Ricky, Diane, Ashton, and Anna were shocked at the news. He also received word from his girlfriend that Jerome had told her, Cassie, and Leo Johnny's parents, Henry and Francesca, had decided not to bail him out of jail. The same went for Ashton and Anna's approval of his moving in with them. He was relieved at both pieces of news.

Andros let out a quiet yet happy sigh. He was grateful to Ashton and Anna for allowing him to move in with them. He was looking forward to spending more time with Ashley, including making love with her. He hoped they wouldn't have to deal with either of her parents knocking on her door and telling them to keep their activity down. He yawned and smacked his lips twice. He heard chuckling and looked at TJ.

"I have to say you look rather tired," TJ said.

"Who wouldn't be tired after spending all day at school and working the afternoon shift at the Surf Spot?" Andros said and shrugged. "At least I didn't have to deal with any traffic going home."

"Of course, you didn't. You walked all the way home!" TJ blurted out.

"This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast beef. This little piggy had none. This little piggy went 'Wee! Wee!' all the way home!" Andros said in a high voice.

TJ smirked. "You should suck up helium. You'd sound just like a chipmunk."

"No, thank you," Andros said, shaking his head.

"What's wrong, Andros, chicken?" TJ asked and began clucking as if he were a chicken.

"The only chicken I see here is you," Andros commented, pointing his finger at his friend.

"No way," TJ responded.

Andros raised an eyebrow. "Yes way."

TJ and Andros blew raspberries at each other. They turned their attention back to their notes. They decided to close their notebooks and lay them on the floor. They looked at each other.

"I am so glad I am done with my homework," Andros whispered in relief.

"So am I. You're lucky you got off work at seven o'clock every day, Andros. Many teen employees work until ten or eleven," TJ commented.

"That's late on a school night," Andros replied in amazement. "It can be hard for those teens to do their homework, especially if they have a lot of it."

"They find ways to manage it, including doing it at work," TJ said with a shrug.

"One thing is clear. I am excited about getting my first paycheck," Andros said very eagerly.

"Could I borrow some money from you?" TJ joked.

"Unh-unh. That money is meant for the babies," Andros responded, shaking his finger at the boy.

"Oh, come on!" TJ yelled, faking a sniffle. "I need money for braces!"

"Braces aren't more important than children are," Andros said, turning his nose upward. "You might as well deal with crooked teeth. You're not making me change my mind." He smirked.

"Thanks for not saying ain't," TJ said, sighing in relief. "It's annoying hearing it all the time."

"You want to know really annoys me? It's people saying, 'It don't matter.' It goes as 'It doesn't matter.' There are no plural words in that sentence," Andros grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"A job interviewer would look at an interviewee like he was a fool if he said, 'It don't matter.' If the job involved teaching English, I guarantee that he wouldn't get it if he talked like that," TJ commented. "All languages have very important grammar rules, especially English." He touched the top of his head.

"It sure does. Of course, many people don't listen to said language's rules and continue to use bad grammar. They think it makes them look cool," Andros muttered, an annoyed scoff leaving his mouth.

"Not me," TJ said honestly. "You will never hear me use bad grammar unless it's for humor."

"Good for you," Andros said in proudness.

TJ winked at his roommate. He looked toward the wall. He laid his hands on his knees and hit them in a rhythmic fashion. He did this for fifteen seconds before becoming still. He glanced at Andros.

"I'm going to miss having you as my roommate, Andros. This room won't be the same without you," TJ said truthfully.

"I'd love to stay, but Ashley and the children need me. It's best for me to be close to them," Andros whispered.

TJ nodded at him. "I understand. If you ever need to stay overnight, just give us a call. Your bed will be right there."

Andros smiled. "Thanks. I'd like to—"

The phone started ringing. Andros and TJ looked at theirs on the nightstand before shifting their attention toward each other. They both reached for it quickly, but the former managed to grab it on the second ring. Andros laughed in delight.

"I got the phone first!" Andros yelled.

TJ stuck his tongue out at him. "Lucky you."

Andros waved TJ off, getting a laugh from him after he pulled his tongue back into his mouth. He looked at the phone and placed it to his ear.

"Hello?" Andros asked.

"Hey, Andros," Ashley said gleefully.

"Hey, Ashley," Andros responded very happily. "What's going on?"

"I was just calling to ask you a favor," Ashley said, letting out a loud snort.

"What is that?" Andros wondered.

"Do you think you could go to Wendy's and get me a Frosty?" Ashley asked hopefully. "I started getting a craving for one."

TJ started snickering under his breath. Andros looked at him and waved him off. He turned his attention back to the phone.

"I'll go get that Frosty for you, Ash," Andros said eagerly.

Ashley squealed gleefully. "Thank you so much."

"I do want to warn you that it might take me some time to get to your house. Wendy's could be crowded," Andros pointed out.

"That's okay. I'm not in any rush," Ashley answered.

Andros smiled. "Great. I'll see you in a little bit."

Andros placed the phone on its base. He stood up and headed to the closet. He opened it to get his leather jacket. He gazed at TJ while putting it on.

"I have a feeling Ashley is going to ask you to get something for her at fast food places often," TJ said.

"She might. She might not. Who knows?" Andros said as he zipped up his jacket. He went to the nightstand and opened the top drawer. He grabbed his keys before closing it. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Andros headed out of the room. He stopped in his tracks when he heard flushing. Karone came out of the bathroom. She walked up to him, furrowing her brow.

"Where are you going, bro?" Karone asked curiously.

"Ashley has a craving for a Wendy's Frosty. I'm going to get one for her," Andros answered and walked past her. He headed down the stairs.

"Are you going to get one for yourself?" Karone wondered.

"I don't know!" Andros called as he looked toward her. "Please, don't ask any more questions!"

"If you say so," Karone said with a laugh.

Andros reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked toward Ricky and Diane, who were watching Captain Ron in the living room. He stopped at the front door. The couple gazed at him.

"Hey, I'm—" Andros started.

Ricky held up his hand. "We know where you are going. We heard you talking to Ashley upstairs."

Diane smiled. "Have fun getting the Frosty."

"Yeah, sure," Andros responded with a chuckle. "I'll be back soon. That is unless Ashley starts craving something else."

Andros unlocked the door. He opened it, its hinges squeaking a little bit. He walked outside. He closed it behind him before heading to his car. He got in and started the engine. He pulled out of the driveway and drove off.

00000

In the Hammond residence's living room ten minutes later, Ashley was watching Overboard while sitting on the couch. She picked the remote up off the end table and turned up the volume somewhat. She returned it to its spot. Just then, Ashton and Anna came down the stairs. They came to their daughter's side. She looked at them as they sat on the couch.

"Still craving that Frosty, darling?" Ashton wondered.

"Very much so. Moreover, I've never been fond of Frosties," Ashley answered.

"I wonder what you will crave next. It'll probably be a very weird food combo," Anna teased and began giggling.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha," Ashley retorted sarcastically. "That was so funny that I died laughing, Mom." She stuck her tongue out at her mother.

Ashton pointed his finger at his daughter. "You better put that thing away, or I'll tie it around your head!"

"Okay," Ashley said and pulled her tongue back into her mouth. "If you two stick your tongues out at me, I will tie them around your heads."

Anna held up her hand. "Duly noted."

The family shared a laugh. Ashton and Anna laid their hands in their laps. They looked toward the window for a long moment before turning back to Ashley.

"It'll be nice to see Andros when he brings you your Frosty," Ashton commented eagerly.

Anna scratched her leg, followed by her neck. "It sure will. He hasn't even been working at the Surf Spot a week, and he is already getting a great deal of praise from Adelle."

Ashton touched his wife's shoulder. "I wish I could've seen the unhappy looks on the new employees' faces when they learned Andros was getting extra days off. I would've told them to get the fuck over it."

"Me too, Dad," Ashley agreed. "I do wish my and Andros's Christmas cabin trip was going on right now. I just want to get away from all the bullying."

"Don't worry. It'll be here. You'll get to do whatever you want at the cabin," Anna said warmly.

"I have no doubt that it will include lots of sex," Ashton added.

Ashley nodded. "Yep."

Ashton and Anna looked at each other with shrugs. They were glad that the loss of Andros and Ashley's virginities hadn't been meaningless. If there was one thing they didn't like, it was people bragging about their sexual encounters, especially when they had them unprotected. They turned to Ashley. They cupped their chins in their hands. They appeared to be deep in thought. Suddenly, an idea clicked in their heads.

"Ashley, how would you like Andros to stay overnight tonight?" Ashton suggested.

"Really, Dad? I mean, it is a school night," Ashley pointed out.

"It's okay. Besides, he needs to start getting familiar with staying in our home since he will be moving in after Christmas," Anna explained.

"He can go home after he wakes up, so he can get ready for school," Ashton added with a sweet smile.

"Okay," Ashley answered with a nod. "I'd love for him to stay."

"By the way, Andros is sleeping with you in your bed when he moves in with us. He needs to be with his twins' mother," Anna said, winking at her daughter.

"Thank you," Ashley whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Thank you so much."

"I'm going to call the Johnsons right now and ask them if they are okay with this," Ashton said, standing up and going over to the cordless phone.

"Just don't let the phone eat you," Anna joked.

Ashton waved his wife off as he grabbed the phone and turned it on. He dialed the Johnson residence's number as he put it to his ear. He listened to two rings before a click came.

"Hello?" Ricky said.

"Hey, Ricky," Ashton greeted.

Ricky laughed delightfully. "Hey yourself, Ashton. Why are you calling, to give me an offer for a credit card?"

"I wish," Ashton joked with a snicker. "Anyway, I was calling to ask you something."

"What is it?" Ricky asked curiously.

"Would you be all right with Andros staying overnight?" Ashton wondered. "It'd save him from having to go back home. My family and I want him to get familiar with staying in our home."

"I say that's a good idea," Ricky said in a warm voice.

Ashton chuckled excitedly. "Great! I'll ask him when he gets here. I'll call you back with his decision. Thank you."

"Okay. I'll talk to you in a few minutes," Ricky commented.

Ashton turned off the phone and put it back on its base. Just then, the sound of an approaching vehicle came out of nowhere. The engine being turned off came next, followed by an opening and closing door. He walked to the front door and unlocked it. Anna and Ashley stood up with a light grunt. He opened it to see Andros coming toward him with a large Frosty in his hand. A spoon was in the cup.

"Hi, Andros," Ashton greeted and stepped aside, allowing the young man to come in. He closed the door and locked it.

"Thanks," Andros said and approached Ashley. He gave the treat to her. "I didn't mean to take so long. The drive-through had a long line." He scoffed.

"It's all right," Ashley replied and kissed him on the cheek. She grabbed the spoon and placed a spoonful of Frosty in her mouth. She chewed quickly and swallowed with a loud gulp. "That's really good. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Andros responded, giving her a kiss to her forehead. Ashton walked up to him.

"Andros, we thought we'd let you stay with us overnight," Ashton said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Really? You're serious?" Andros asked in much surprise.

"Yeah. I spoke with TJ's father on the phone a minute ago. He said he was okay with it," Ashton explained.

"It'd save you from having to drive back," Anna added.

"All right, I'll stay," Andros said in eagerness.

"Okay. I will call him back," Ashton said and went to the cordless phone to grab it. He turned it on and proceeded to dial the same number.

"By the way, you're sleeping in my daughter's room. You're not sleeping on the couch," Anna commented firmly. "You're also sleeping there when you move in with us. You need to be with the mother of your kids."

"Well, thank you," Andros answered and gazed at Ashley. "I guess we should go upstairs." He chuckled.

"Oh, yes," Ashley said, giggling lightly as she ate more of her Frosty.

The lovebirds headed upstairs. They went down the hallway, slipping into the third room on the right, which happened to be Ashley's room. Andros approached the desk chair and unzipped his jacket. He placed it over its back. He glanced at Ashley, who sat on the bed.

"I have to admit this feels a little weird. I never thought your parents would ask me to stay overnight on a school night," Andros said, taking off his white tennis shoes.

Ashley shrugged. "Me neither. Then again, we can do lots of talking and cuddling until it's time to go to sleep."

Andros went over to sit next to her on the bed. "Provided that you finish your Frosty first. Don't worry. I'll throw it in the kitchen trashcan once you're finished."

"Thanks," Ashley whispered as she ate another spoonful of Frosty. "I love you."

"I love you too," Andros answered and scooted over to kiss her forehead. They looked into each other's eyes after he pulled back. "So, when will your parents start creating the nursery?"

"Dad said he'd start doing some measuring in the guest room this weekend. Mom wants me to use the same rocking chair she used when I was a baby," Ashley explained.

"Oh, I see," Andros whispered with a nod. "Do you think the twins should sleep in cribs or cradles?"

"Cradles would be best for the first three to four months since their rocking motion would calm the twins. Then we need to switch to cribs since babies are able to roll over by then and can tip the cradles. I read all this on the internet last night," Ashley answered.

Andros placed his arm around her. "All of that sounds good."

Ashley leaned into his embrace. "Wonderful."

The couple heard a clearing throat. They looked toward Ashton, who stood in the doorway.

"I just got off the phone. TJ's father wanted me to tell you he said good night," Ashton said.

"Thanks. Good night, Mr. Hammond," Andros answered.

"Good night, Dad," Ashley added.

"Good night, kids," Ashton said and closed the door as he walked out of the room. He went to the bathroom.