Ch 29
As it turned out, no one was surprised by Andros' tale of time travel. He had collapsed the second Kimberly had disappeared and no one had thought it a coincidence. The Veo Prism shards had been together in one room, which apparently was enough to activate it. There had been another pulse after Kimberly returned and not long before Andros woke up.
"I'm glad you came back, but I'm surprised you didn't stay." Zhane said. "Things weren't perfect, but you had everything you wanted. I don't know that I would've made the same choice."
"You would have," Andros affirmed with a nod. "Because you wouldn't have felt like any of it was yours. Knowing that Darkonda, Tsukon, and Mirit were already long gone was a relief, but it wasn't our victory. That wasn't my team or my daughter –they were strangers to me. And so, in a way, I didn't have anything. I felt like I'd lost everything. Reaping the benefits of a life I didn't live would have been easy, but it felt wrong. But here, for better or worse, I have a relationship with all of you that I didn't have there. And I didn't take a shortcut to get there. All that hard work just to end up a voice in another Andros' head isn't a life I want… Even if I had ended up in control, it wasn't my life. I like my life the way it is, even with all the bad that's happened. I wouldn't give that up or any of you. I'm a different person because of you guys –a better person, I think. I don't want to erase that."
Andros glanced around at all the sheepish smiles, his eyes falling on a quiet Astronema pressing herself against a wall behind everyone else with her eyes lowered. Andros took in a breath and walked over to her, using a gentle hand to tap her shoulder.
"You okay?" he asked.
Astronema kept her eyes down but she nodded.
"Well, just so you know, I'm glad to have you in my life too."
"You don't have to say that. You're not a better person because of anything I did. But I might be because of you, so thank you… and I'm sorry."
"For what?" She held out her hand and something began to materialize into it. It was the ultrasound scan, only it was out of its normal envelope and in a silver frame. Andros gently took it from her. "Thank you."
Astronema shook her head sadly. "You shouldn't be thanking me. How many times did I take that picture from you? That was your child…"
"You didn't know what it was –"
"It was cruel and disrespectful, and I'm sorry."
Even after weeks of Astronema being so polite, Andros was thrown by this apology. He had never seen her so genuinely upset. Well, not sad-upset, anyway. Right now, she looked like she wanted to cry and he was moments away from joining her. "You didn't know what it was. But even if you did, I'd forgive you. The fact that you feel bad enough about it to apologize –" He shook his head in disbelief. "Of course I forgive you."
"Why?"
He had expected relief to wash over her, but here she was, her brows furrowed, seemingly frustrated with him. At that moment, it occurred to Andros that the concept of forgiveness or maybe just this level of kindness still wasn't familiar to her. Had she really expected a punishment?
He would have to walk her through this.
"Because you apologized and you meant it. And then you did something kind to make up for it." He held up the framed picture. "You didn't have to do that. But I would have forgiven you anyway because… you're family."
Moving slowly to allow her the option to pull away, Andros wrapped one arm around her shoulders and hugged her. Surprisingly, Astronema didn't try to get out of it or even stiffen up at his touch. Instead, she wrapped both of her arms around him and hugged him back, the relief on her face finally present once she released him.
The room grew deadly silent and after a beat or two, Andros turned to face the others, certainly unsurprised by the confusion on their faces.
"Anyone else feel like we might have missed something?" Zhane asked no one in particular.
"I was on my way to tell you before everything happened with the Veo Prism," Andros explained. "Around the time Ashley came back, I found out that Astronema is my sister, Karone." He waited for questions or disbelief or some sarcastic comment –anything, really –but the rangers' silence continued. "She and I have been talking since then –filling in the blanks of old memories and figuring each other out."
"And what did you find out?" Cassie asked.
"That, in spite of everything that's happened in the past year or so, she's a good person and I don't want things to go back to the way they were –us on opposite sides and fighting each other."
"Yeah, okay. But is that what she wants?" Zhane asked warily, his eyes mainly on her.
Astronema nodded. "I know you don't trust me –"
"Sure, we do," Zhane replied. "You've been helping us for weeks. You just fought with us and didn't set us up to steal one of the most powerful weapons that we've ever had. You even had Ecliptor fight with us, and he didn't turn against us even once. Believe me, if you want to stay, you've got my vote… I guess my question was more if you trusted us, especially after we lied to you about the Veo Prism for so long."
Astronema glanced around at the others. The confusion was gone from their faces, but they were clearly holding back whatever feelings they had until she gave her answer. "Ecliptor told me before I first came here that I wouldn't return to the Dark Fortress. And I told him today that he was right." She smiled to herself a moment. "The truth is that I haven't truly been Astronema for a while now, and I don't mind that… Being good, being Karone, I guess –I like it. So, if you can all forgive me, I'll stay and offer whatever help I can."
Ashley walked up to her and took her hand. "You never have to apologize for anything Astronema's done, Karone. We're glad to have you."
The other rangers agreed and gathered closer to them, all smiles as they welcomed Karone to her new family.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-
There was a planet nearby that was big on trade. Zhane decided to head there in search of a few extra beds because despite Cassie's assurance that Karone would get a real bed, they certainly didn't have any lying around. They weren't sure what they had to trade, but they'd figure something out. Until then, Karone would sleep in Andros' room and he would take her place in the cargo bay for a night or two.
In the meantime, the rangers had decided to celebrate their many victories of the day and were in the midst of planning another movie night –Andros' suggestion. After nearly a half-hour, the only thing they could agree on was that they'd had enough of monsters for a while.
Andros was there, though he could care less about the pros and cons of action versus romantic comedy. He was too busy watching his sister. Astronema was truly gone now, the dark makeup, bright hair, and clothes abandoned for more natural tones, blonde hair, and a gray ranger uniform. She was listening to the debate between the others, not in favor of one side or the other, but offering shy smiles and giggles as the rangers playfully stated their cases.
"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Kimberly asked, taking a seat beside Andros. "Six months ago, she was fighting us and now –"
"She's one of us," Andros finished with a nod. "I know. It's only been a few hours and it's almost like Astronema never existed. The old me never would have believed it."
"She gave you a hug," Kimberly pointed out. "She's sitting with everyone and grinning like a little kid. Old-you isn't the only one who wouldn't have believed it."
Andros finally pulled his gaze from Karone and turned to Kimberly. "I meant to do this earlier, but I want to apologize to you." Kimberly raised her eyebrows in curiosity and Andros just blinked at her a moment. "… For activating the Veo Prism and sending you back in time."
"Oh, right. Well, I'd be lying if I said that I wanted more Back To The Future moments in my life –" Andros remained blank at the reference and Kimberly grinned. "Oh, that movie's definitely going on the list tonight. But it's not the first time I've gone back in time, and it probably won't be the last… I really hope it is though." She and Andros shared a smile. "It was an accident, and even if it wasn't, I doubt seriously that you meant to send me anywhere. But because that happened, we have a weapon that might be enough to take down Dark Specter, or at least get us close. Darkonda, Tsukon, and Mirit are gone. You got to hold your baby and get closure with Arcadia. I couldn't be mad if I tried. There's nothing to apologize for."
"Actually, the Veo Prism told me that I'm the reason the Veo morphers showed themselves to Tommy. You guys wouldn't be stuck here with us if it hadn't been for me. You'd be home and living the normal life you wanted."
Kimberly looked down at her wrist, lightly stroking a finger across the morpher embedded in her skin. She smiled. "Honestly, I am living the normal life I want. And as much as I complained about it this time around, I still can't think of any place I'd rather be. I'm with Tommy and my friends and my new friends. I'm flying in a spaceship in outer space. In the life I thought I wanted, I'd be in some boring classroom right now. Nothing super exciting like this, for sure… The powers are bonded to me, but I still have the choice to use them or not. They can't hold me here. But I want to be here."
"I'm glad you are."
"So am I." Kimberly gave Andros' shoulder a pat and stood up. "You don't think a time travel movie is too soon?"
"Could be insightful," Andros replied with a shrug. "A guide for next time maybe?"
She thought a moment, and then made a face. "I think I'd rather see Meg Ryan." Kimberly giggled and rejoined the discussion with the others.
Before Andros' eyes could wander back to Karone, Ashley sat down beside him, subtly massaging her thighs.
"Still shaky?" Andros asked, trying not to seem overly concerned.
"A little. I guess there wasn't enough time to recover between training and the fight today. I tried not to overdo it, but…" She leaned forward and continued to rub her legs. "I'll feel better once I can actually rest them a bit."
"We'll do light exercises for the next few days. Scale back training to just an hour or two." Ashley lightly nodded her head, but didn't say anything. "Here." Andros turned his body toward her and gestured for her to put her legs up on his lap.
Ashley glanced around briefly, but she rested her right leg there and let Andros begin massaging it. He didn't even hesitate. As far as he was concerned, no one else was in that room with them anymore. His focus was on her leg, and everything else seemed to be drowned out. Down to the pressure she felt against her skin as his hands moved up and down her leg, Ashley was reminded of the muscle accelerator. Was he hoping to achieve similar results with just his hands?
"Do you regret coming back?" he asked softly.
"Of course not," Ashley replied. "Days like this are just… hard, I guess. But it's not like I'm getting worse. The muscle accelerator is just wearing off. We both knew it wouldn't last that long." Andros kept his eyes down and sighed softly. "So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind or do I have to guess?"
He remained focused on the leg he was currently working on, his eyes flitting up to meet hers briefly. "You know that I didn't go back and change things hoping to get some perfect life with Arcadia, right?"
"Of course. I never thought that." That wasn't exactly true. When Kimberly came back and Andros didn't, Ashley had panicked a little. She had started to think he might've been happier with his wife and child. She had already started telling herself that she should just be happy that Andros was in a better place.
He adjusted his chair to start on her other leg, meeting her eyes briefly again. "Being with Arcadia in that way never really crossed my mind. I wanted her alive, and I wanted answers. That's it."
"And if you could do it all again?"
Andros shook his head. "I wouldn't. I think I was better off not knowing the answers. I had started to move on just fine without them. Then, I ended up there, and things I had left behind me were suddenly right back in front of me." He stopped a moment and looked up at her. "And I learned that I would've had a wife who resented me because she wasn't ready to be a parent because she knew that, at least for a while, it would be the only thing she could be… and because I was cheating on her with you."
Ashley raised her eyebrows. "You didn't mention that little detail the first time around. I'm… flattered?"
Andros lowered his eyes again, focusing on Ashley's leg again. "I didn't mention it because it wasn't anything to be bragging about, and I didn't want you thinking that anything happened between me and that Ashley."
"I don't know. Is it cheating on me if it's technically with me?" Just barely pulling a smile from him, Ashley giggled. "Really, Andros. I wasn't worried about that. In another body, in another timeline, and with your wife, I wouldn't blame you if things… happened."
"Well, nothing did," he reaffirmed. "Not with either of them. The other Andros took over for a while and I had no part of whatever he did –"
He stopped when Ashley got up, gently pulled his face to hers, and kissed his lips. They both got a little lost in that for a moment, but then Ashley pulled back and sat back down, nonchalantly putting her leg back onto Andros' lap. It took a few moments before he got himself together enough to start massaging it again.
"You don't have to explain anything to me, Andros," she said with a smile. "After I got hurt, you checked on me every day for months. You're by my side every day, determined to help me recover. You traveled back in time and threw away a life that still had me in it with you because you didn't want to lose what we have. You're here, and that's all that matters… I love you."
"I love you too," he replied softly, leaning forward to kiss her again.
He sat with her a while, the rangers still debating the movie when Andros finally left for the bridge. He gave Ashley's family an update and managed not to break down in front of Lynn or mention what he'd done to get back to his timeline. He wanted Ashley or Zhane to be the first people he told about that. And he wanted to be in a more stable mental state when he told the story. Besides, Lynn was already in tears about the whole thing, and hormones or not, Andros didn't want to risk upsetting her any further.
He hesitated before opening communications with Wan. He had been a bit harsh with the Wan of the other timeline. This Wan wouldn't remember that, but Andros wasn't quite done with that conversation and he needed to move on.
Andros called and a silver-haired older Wan appeared on the screen with a smile. It had been a while since he'd last appeared as his correct age, and Andros couldn't help being a little taken aback by it.
"Wan, you…"
"Look like myself?" Wan suggested. "I can't deny the good mood that comes with it. Whenever I look like this, I feel more like myself too."
"That's great," Andros said, trying to boost his mood to meet Wan's at least halfway. But he felt himself faltering already. He needed to just spit it out. "I called you to apologize and to thank you."
"For what?"
"The Veo Prism sent me back to save my friends. At least, I think that's why it sent me back. And I asked your help in getting back here. But I was kind of harsh when I spoke with you, and I want to apologize."
"I appreciate that, but it wasn't me that you were talking to," Wan said. "We'll call him Wan-2, and under the stressful circumstances, I'd imagine that Wan-2 would understand. He's been through it himself."
Andros shook his head. "I called you selfish and I accused you of abandoning your friends, but it's too late to apologize to him about that. But I can take what I've learned today and thank you –something I should have done from the moment I met you. You did what you thought you had to do to save, not just yourself, but countless others from a terrible situation. Without what you did, I might not be standing here today. And in spite of everything that's happened in my life, I'm grateful to have it. So, thank you."
Wan thought a moment. "You never have to thank me for what I did, Andros. The truth is that I made a choice that I question most days –not because of the time loop, but because you're right. I abandoned my friends. I abandoned my future. When I'm alone with my thoughts, I think of the universe I left behind. I wonder if they fixed things eventually or if my leaving prevented them from fixing things. How much more suffering was there after I left?"
"I guess I could've put your mind at ease if I'd thought to ask the Veo Prism what happened to your world."
Wan shook his head. "Even when I let my thoughts go to the worst place possible, I like to think that they made things right again somehow, or that a new group of rangers came through and saved the universe. Either way, Rita was defeated, and I can sleep at night."
Andros smiled. "I like the sound of that."
Just then, Ashley walked in to sheepishly let him know that the others had finally decided on a movie. Andros ended his call with Wan and walked with her to the Simudeck, his arm around her and her leaning into him as they took their time getting there.
He took in her scent –those artificial strawberries that Ashley can't believe will forever be what he associates with her. It just had a better taste than the other glosses, but whatever –and he laughed with her about all the things that would have to go wrong for this movie night to be any worse than the last one. Ashley told him how excited Karone had been to be the one to pick the movie from a bowl, and how disappointed some of the guys had been when she read out the name of the movie.
And the whole time they talked and giggled, and even during the movie, he didn't think of the other timeline. He didn't think of last year or the year before. He didn't let his thoughts go any further than the movie in front of him until the mini popcorn fight near the end of the movie. But even then, he really only thought about how he was hearing his sister laugh hysterically for the first time ever and then about the salt and butter staining all of their clothes.
What had he told Zhane before, 'the past was past'? This time, he was going to make sure the past stayed there too. There was a mission in front of them, and Andros wasn't going to waste anymore time and energy looking behind him. There was nothing for him back there. There never had been. And he had a feeling that his friends –his family –wouldn't let him go searching again.
