Chapter 58: Apart

Ashley woke up in Andros's bunk and her body was still aching from Psycho Yellow's attack. She stared at the bunk above her head, her arm up by her head. She let out a breath and ran her hands over her face as she sat up. She was off duty until she was fully recovered from Psycho Yellow's attack. She got out of bed and walked over to the dresser, pulling on her clothes slowly.

Exiting Andros's room, she made her way over to the jump tubes. "Where are you going?" Cassie asked, making her turn around. Ashley's eyes were downcast towards the floor.

"I need to see Kimberly," she signed.

Cassie saw the pain in her friend's face and walked over to her. "I'd feel better if someone came with you," she insisted gently. Ashley shook her head slowly.

"I'll go with you," Andros answered as he walked over.

Ashley's lower lip shook and she shook her head. "I need to go alone," she signed, "I need to see my sister alone." She pushed past them and towards the jump tubes.

In Miami, Kimberly was walking out of the gym when she saw Ashley standing by her car. "Ashley?" Kimberly asked. Immediately the seventeen-year-old's face started to crumble.

"Kimberly," she choked out.

Kimberly was stunned when her sister hugged her and started to cry. Immediately her arms were around her. "Ashley, what's wrong?" she asked. Ashley didn't answer she just fell apart. Kimberly looked up and she saw Andros standing off to the side with his hands in his pockets. "What the hell happened?" she demanded.

"It's a long story, one that shouldn't be told here," he replied.

"Then let's go," Kimberly insisted.

Kimberly unlocked her door and the two teenagers climbed in before she drove back to her apartment.

Back at the apartment, Kimberly made some lavender tea for Ashley and her hands shook as she took the cup into her hands. All the while Andros was explaining what had happened. Tommy was sitting across from them on Kimberly's other sofa, listening to the attack. "You could've been killed trying to rescue her," Tommy said after a long minute. Andros shrugged his shoulders.

"I was going to be killed if I didn't," he replied.

"So what happens now?" Kimberly asked.

"Ashley is on leave until she's strong enough," Andros answered.

Ashley closed her eyes tight, setting her cup on the table and she lowered her head. Andros reached over and he rested his hand over her clasped hands. "We can help," Tommy said. Ashley lifted her head back up towards then.

"I can't ask you to stop your lives," Ashley signed.

Kimberly shook her head slowly. "Nuh uh," she answered as she crouched beside her, "You need a little boost. We all had to go through that as Rangers. This job is the most difficult job to ever have." Ashley swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I saw my dad," she signed to Kimberly as the tears fell.

"Oh sweetie," Kimberly said gently, hugging her.

Ashley let out a soft sob and they surrounded her.

When they brought them to the ship, Kimberly looked around. "Color me impressed," she commented. Andros held Ashley's hand and smiled.

"What do you think?" Andros asked.

"Ashley's dad helped design this?" Tommy asked.

"Both of our dads did," Andros replied.

They heard voices from the bridge and looked over as TJ and the others walked out. "Tommy!" he said surprised. Tommy waved at them.

"Hey guys," Kimberly said smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Carlos asked stunned.

"I asked them to come," Andros replied.

Kimberly just smiled. "We're here for Ashley," she added.

"What about your training and everything?" Cassie asked.

"I can still train every day," Kimberly replied.

"We have the time," Tommy put in as he held onto Ashley's shoulder.

Ashley bit her lower lip, but put on her best smile.

Later on the simudeck, Ashley was dripping sweat as she was blocking several attacks from the fake enemy in front of her. She had insisted she needed time alone, but instead of going to her room she was on the simudeck. Her opponent tried to kick her legs out from underneath her but Ashley jumped over their head instead. When another tried to grab her from her side, she felt the impact and the pain in her ribs surged through her and she let out a shout of pain, falling to one knee on the floor. She held her throbbing side, but ducked out of the way when a kick was aimed for her head. She tried to get up but her side felt like it was burning and she fell to the floor again. "Stop simulation," a familiar voice called out and everything faded away.

"I wasn't done," Ashley said irritably.

"You were done," Andros replied.

She let out a frustrated breath as she pulled herself up. "I'm not an invalid," she snapped.

"I didn't say that," he told her.

"No you're thinking it," she answered, snatching her towel out of his hand.

"You had the simulation at the highest capacity," he said, "Making this as real as possible."

"That's what I wanted," she answered, wiping her face.

"To what? Overdo it and undo all the healing that's already been done?" Andros demanded.

Ashley shot him a glare and threw her towel at him. "You don't get to judge my decisions!" she snapped.

"DECA, close the doors," Andros answered.

"Forget it, I'm leaving!" she snapped.

Andros reached out and grabbed a hold of her arm before she could storm past him. Immediately, she swung around and shoved him backwards a bit. "I told you I wanted to be alone. I told you I didn't need help!" she barked at him.

"Really? So I'm supposed to stand aside and just watch you work yourself to death?" he demanded.

"I don't need a babysitter!" she answered.

"Who said anything about anyone babysitting you?!" he exclaimed.

"EVERYONE!" she shouted so loud her voice echoed off the walls.

They were staring at each other now. "Ever since all of this happened, everyone has been walking around me like I'm glass and I'm about to shatter if anything happens!" she exclaimed. Andros just listened. "It didn't happen to Cassie, Carlos, TJ, or anyone else! What Psycho Yellow did, happened to ME! She did it to ME!" she told him.

"It didn't just happen to you," he answered.

"It DID!" she snapped at him.

"IT HAPPENED TO ME TOO!" he shouted at her.

Ashley stared at him. "Only mine was worse! HE WAS IN MY GODDAMN HEAD!" he shouted.

"WORSE?!" she shouted back.

"Yes WORSE! I saw EVERYTHING HE DID! He was on this ship and all I could do was WATCH!" he snapped, "All I could do was WATCH HER do what she did to YOU!"

"YOU DIDN'T RELIVE YOUR NIGHTMARES!"

"I WAS LIVING MY OWN!"

They were staring at each other now. "I didn't ask for this," She said suddenly.

"What?" he demanded.

"THIS!" she exclaimed, gesturing between them, "To have you FEEL what I FEEL?! You know everything I know and more!"

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"I don't even know," She answered.

There was silence for a little bit. "No…you do," he said.

"Don't," she answered.

"Don't what? What am exactly am I NOT supposed to ask?" he demanded.

Ashley let out a breath. "What our bond? You regret our bond?" he asked.

"Don't put words in my mouth," she answered.

"No it was all good when things were good right but seeing the reality of what this bond does now you hate it?" he asked.

"This was more than what I expected," she replied.

"So you DO regret it," he stated.

"That's not what I said," she replied.

Andros swallowed. "No, you said enough," he replied. With that, he walked towards the door. "DECA, open the doors," he ordered.

"Andros," Ashley called to him, choking on her own voice as he left.

Ashley put her hands over her face and she let out a shaky breath as the tears fell.

Andros stepped out of the simudeck to see Kimberly standing there. Without a word, he walked past her and down the hall.

Entering the room, Kimberly found Ashley sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest. "Ashley…" Kimberly said gently as she knelt in front of her. Ashley lifted her head and she saw the tears just running down her face.

"What did I do?" Ashley sobbed.

Kimberly's heart broke as she reached over and hugged her. Ashley hugged her back and she continued to sob. "Let's go back to Earth hm?" Kimberly suggested, "We can just spend a few days away." Ashley nodded and Kimberly pulled back, wiping her tears away. "It'll be okay," she assured her.

"Will it be?" Ashley asked, her voice shaking.

Kimberly gave her a reassuring smile before helping her up. "Come on, let's get some things together and you can stay with Tommy and me," she assured her as they left the simudeck.

In the engine room, Andros was looking over some the tests they had ran earlier that day. He was pacing the room like a cage animal. With a frustrated growl, Andros threw the metal clipboard and if it weren't for Zhane's quick reflexes when he entered the room, it would've collided into his head. "Shit!" Zhane exclaimed.

"Sorry," Andros muttered.

"I'm kinda glad it wasn't a tool," Zhane answered.

Andros rolled his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked as he started to work on the engines.

"Well the whole ship kind of heard you and Ashley screaming at each other," Zhane replied.

"Awesome," Andros said sarcastically.

There was a silence between them. "So…I don't know if you want to know…but Ashley's leaving," Zhane said. Andros's head snapped up.

"What?" he asked.

"Yeah I saw her and Kimberly packing some things…" Zhane started to say.

Andros immediately rushed passed him and down the hall.

Andros raced around the corner nearly colliding into the wall when he saw Ashley walk out of their room with her bag. "You're leaving?" He asked. Ashley looked up and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Ashley…" he started to say.

"I need to just be away," Ashley answered, looking at him.

Ashley held her hand out and Andros's heart went to his stomach. It was her communicator and her morpher. "No," he answered.

"Just for a few days, I need time," she insisted.

Andros reluctantly held his hand out and Ashley handed them over to him. He couldn't make her keep them or make her stay. "You have to do what's right for you," he answered. Ashley held onto her bag's strap and Tommy walked out of the room with another bag of her things.

"She'll be safe with us," Tommy assured him.

Andros nodded. "DECA, send them to Earth," he ordered. He watched in a white flash all three went back to Earth. Andros felt like he was punched in the stomach and he leaned back against the wall as if to regain his balance.

When they reached Tommy and Kimberly's apartment, Ashley looked around as Kimberly led her to a guest room. "You have your own bathroom too," Kimberly informed her.

"Thank you," Ashley signed.

Kimberly left her alone to get her thoughts together and Ashley sat on the edge of the bed, letting out a deep breath.

Back on the ship, Andros was sitting on the bridge staring out at the endless amount of stars. He looked back in his hand and was tracing his thumb over the yellow stone in Ashley's necklace. He tilted his head back on his chair and closed his eyes as he let out a heavy sigh. He couldn't sense her; he couldn't feel her. It almost felt like a blanket of darkness just enveloped him and now he felt like he was deaf and blind. He swallowed against the lump in his throat and a tear slowly made its way down his face.