Chapter 48: A Past Revealed
Andros's quarters was quiet except for the sounds of soft groans and moans coming from underneath the blankets that were moving up and down in the rhythm of their bodies moving together. Ever since the first time, they were having a hard time keeping their hands off each other.
Ashley let out a sharp gasp her eyes closed tight, her hands gripping his arms as she climaxed around him and he groaned into her neck as he came with her. Ashley kissed his neck and shoulder before he moved off to the side. "We should really get up," she commented breathlessly.
"I was afraid you were going to say that," he answered, making her laugh.
He leaned over her again and kissed her lightly. She kissed him back before she slid out from underneath him before he could grab her. "Nope," she told him. She grabbed her clothes out of the drawer. "Come on, the others are going to start looking for us," she insisted.
"Can't I just admire you for just a second just like that?" he asked.
Ashley's cheeks burned and she bit her lower lip. "Yeah, just like that," he insisted. Walking over, she pressed her lips against his.
"I'm going to shower," she answered before disappearing into the bathroom.
Andros got out of bed. "It'll be faster if I join," he answered as he grabbed his clothes and followed her inside and her laughter could be heard through the bathroom door.
Later, Ashley walked on the bridge first. "You're late," Cassie commented.
"I overslept," Ashley signed as she sat down in her seat.
Cassie was about to say something when Andros walked on the bridge, and she noticed both of their hair was still damp from a fresh shower. She raised a brow but kept her mouth shut. The alarms began to blare. "There is an attack on Earth," DECA informed them.
"Main viewing screen," Andros ordered.
They saw people running from a large bat like monster. "The Batterax Monster is attacking Angel Grove," DECA informed them.
"Let's go," TJ told the team.
Getting up from her chair, Ashley rushed off the bridge with the rest of the team to get down to the city.
Ashley ducked out of the way when a Quantron swung its blade at her head. She swung her leg out, knocking it on its back. When another Quantron aimed for her middle, she did a couple of back flips away before grabbing it by the arm and throwing it over her head. Andros and Cassie went to attack the Batterax Monster while Ashley got civilians to safety.
The Batterax ran at her and Ashley blocked an attack aimed for her stomach and kicked it in the stomach. She looked over just as Andros rushed over to protect a mother and her two children that were trapped in the chaos. Ashley pulled out her Star Slinger, firing at several Quantrons to try to thin out the crowd. She heard a loud crack of thunder and swung around, expecting to see her lover laying on the ground.
Only instead of Andros, it was a Quantron. Andros looked up towards the stares and she followed his gaze to Astronema and Ecliptor. Astronema was slowly pulling her staff back after using it. "Astronema, why?!" Andros exclaimed. Ashley didn't have any time to think before the Batterax grabbed her by her shoulder, throwing her to the ground.
"Ashley!" Cassie called out.
Ashley waved her hand to Cassie to reassure her she was okay. Ashley rolled to her feet as Cassie attacked the monster to keep it away from her. She looked around for Andros but he was gone. She had no choice but to get back into the fight when the Batterax tried to grab her around her neck.
The fight was long, but eventually they were able to stop Astronema's forces and they were back on the ship. Ashley saw that Andros was disturbed by something. "What's wrong?" she signed to him.
"I need to go back down there," he replied, "There's something there that I ripped off Astronema's neck, she seemed worried about it."
"I'll come with you," she signed.
Andros shook his head. "No, stay here," he answered, walking away. Ashely watched him walk away and rubbed her hands together nervously, before going back to the bridge.
Later, Ashley was walking around the Megaship looking for Andros. When he had returned, he had found out the truth that Astronema WAS his sister, Karone. After insisting that he would find a way to reach her to get her to remember, he had left the bridge and she hadn't seen him since.
Making her way through the halls, she looked through each room as the door opened but they were empty.
Finally, she found him in his quarters. She felt ridiculous this should've been the first place she should've looked. He was sitting on the edge of his bunk with his head in his hands. "DECA, make sure no one disturbs us," Ashley instructed the AI. DECA closed the door behind her.
"Ashley, I'm not in the mood," he told her, not looking up.
Ashley could hear the shaking in his voice. Walking over, she knelt down on her knees in front of him. She grasped his wrists and pulled them away from his head. Reluctantly he lifted his head and she could see the red rims under his eyes. She reached up and wiped the tear trail from his face. "How could I have missed it?" he asked, "All these years…" His voice cracked and he couldn't get anything else out. Ashley sat up a little higher and her arms immediately went around his neck, her hands resting on his head while his forehead rested on her shoulder. "I was a fool," he told her.
"You were just a little boy, how could you have known this is what they would've done to her?" she asked.
Andros let out a shaky breath. "I didn't protect her," he answered.
"You were children," she insisted, "There's nothing you could've done."
He slid off the bunk and into her arms and she held him even tighter. "You didn't know how dangerous the Universe was," she insisted, "You had no reason to believe that." Andros held onto her and he broke down in her arms. Ashley closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the side of his head. "I'm here," she assured him softly. She had never seen him so vulnerable before and it created so many different emotions. "And I love you," she told him, "I love you so much. I will help you get your sister back." Andros hugged her even tighter.
"I love you, Ashley," he told her, "And I need you."
Ashley rubbed his back. "Whatever you need," she assured him. Andros kissed her neck and just rested his head on her shoulder.
The next day, Ashley was anxiously waiting for Andros to come back after Astronema had sent a transmission asking him to come alone. They looked up when the door opened. "So, what happened?" TJ asked.
"Well…" Andros said slowly, turning back around towards the door.
When Astronema entered the room, everyone but Ashley went in a guarding stance. "You brought her onto the ship…" Cassie said in disbelief. Andros looked at his friends with an incredulous look as though saying 'Of course I did'. TJ looked irritated as he walked over to them slowly.
"What's going on, Andros?" he demanded.
Andros gestured to Astronema, Ashley could see his eyes shining and a smile on his face. "She's my sister!" he answered, leading her onto the bridge, "And she can help us find Zordon." Ashley bit her lower lip nervously as Astronema seemed to be scowling. Walking over, the Yellow Ranger just smiled reassuringly.
"My name is Ashley," she signed to the other young woman.
Astronema looked at Andros. "She doesn't speak?" she asked.
"It's a long story," Andros replied.
"She speaks when she's comfortable and around people she trusts," Carlos put in.
Ashley shot Carlos a scowl. "I wouldn't be putting words into my mouth, Carlos," she signed to him.
"What? Are you on his side now?" TJ asked her.
"Should we not trust Andros's judgment?" Ashley signed to him, "Andros is a lot of things, but an idiot isn't one of them."
"Ashley his judgment is blurred," TJ insisted, "You have to see that."
"I see a man who spent his whole life trying to find his sister to make his family a little more complete than it was before," Ashley signed.
TJ shook his head slowly. "This isn't the same as your situation, Ashley, if you think this will make you feel a little more complete," he answered.
"That's not fair to say to her," Andros told him angrily.
"And it's not fair you brought the enemy on our ship and demand we trust her!" TJ snapped at him.
"Andros, she spent the last several months trying to KILL us!" Carlos exclaimed.
"They made her do all those things! They have been lying to her!" Andros snapped.
"And it's a pretty cruel trick to let Ashley's own personal feelings to get involved when it comes to losing family," Carlos answered, "Of course she's going to be on your side."
Ashley stood in front of Carlos and shot him a glare. She let out a sound that was the cross between a grunt and a huff. "You will NOT use my personal feelings in this situation as a tool to use against him!" Cassie translated to Carlos.
"Ashley, he's protecting a killer," TJ answered.
"He's protecting a sister," Ashley signed.
"She could be lying! How do we know she's not lying and she knows Andros's weakness this whole time? Andros we're walking right into a damn trap!" TJ exclaimed.
"She gave me back my morpher! She saved my life!" Andros answered.
"To gain your trust to bring her here," TJ argued.
"She knows where Zordon is!" Andros insisted, "She can help us!"
"Of course she does, she helped kidnap him!" TJ argued back.
Ashley stomped her foot on the floor. "ENOUGH!" she shouted and the entire room fell silent again. They stared at her and Ashley was breathing heavily.
"I trust Andros, he hasn't done anything to put us in danger," she signed.
"Ashley he has put us in danger when it came to Karone before," TJ answered, "Ever since he found out Darkonda took her his obsession with finding her almost got us killed yesterday."
"But it DIDN'T," she signed aggressively.
Astronema took a step forward and she suddenly reached out, her hand resting on Ashley's shoulder. "Don't touch her," Carlos snapped. Ashley held her hand up when Carlos went to take a step toward them.
"And if I can defend myself a little here, I didn't help take Zordon, but I can help you get to him," she answered.
"Just give us the coordinates, we don't need any help from you," Cassie insisted.
"As a matter of fact you do. There's a force field around the planet, I can get Dark Specter to lower it so we can get in," she explained.
Carlos scoffed. "We?" he asked. He looked over at Andros. "Andros, you have to see how crazy this is!" he insisted.
"IF we take her, it's under one condition," TJ answered as he walked towards them, "She has to be restrained."
"No!" Andros answered as he stood beside Astronema and Ashley, "I can't do that!"
"Andros, this is too risky!" TJ persisted.
"It's okay," Andros and Ashley heard Astronema say softly.
There was silence again and Astronema had Ashley step aside so TJ could speak with her. "So, where is Zordon?" he asked. Astronema was silent for a second.
"Kirak Galaxy, on the jungle planet of Yotoba," she replied.
"DECA, set a course, maximum hyperrush velocity," TJ ordered as he stared Astronema straight in the eye, but Astronema stared right back at him.
"Course plotted, mega accelerator is at maximum," DECA replied.
TJ stood beside Andros. "Let's hope she's telling the truth," he said, earning a glare from the Red Ranger before he walked away. Astronema watched as Ashley waited for everyone's backs to be turned and she gently reached for Andros's hand. Her fingertips brushing over the side of his hand. Andros quickly took Ashley's hand in his and he kissed her knuckles briefly before releasing her hand when TJ turned back towards them. "Carlos, take her to the engine room and chain her there," TJ instructed him. Carlos walked over, and Astronema pulled her arm away when he reached for it.
"I can walk, please," she answered.
Ashley held onto Andros's arm as he reluctantly watched Carlos lead his sister away and lowered his head. "Hey," she called into his mind, making him lift his head. Their telepathic bond had been growing stronger in the last several weeks. Ashley gave him a reassuring smile. "It will be okay," she assured him. Andros nodded his head slowly and let out a dee breath as Ashley rested her forehead against his for a second before releasing him. Andros watched her walk away and went after Carlos and Astronema.
