DISCLAIMER: All of the PR characters in this fic are not mine although I wish they were. The only thing that's mine is the name of Andros's parents, Alisdair and Eileen as well as the character I created, the Aquitian Chloe. Do these names look Alien or what? (*Andros: Don't forget the Song!*) Oh yeah, the song in this fic isn't mine either it, The title of it is "He's My Son" and Mark Shultz is the one who sung it. I've got the Tommy Oliver Syndrome, so sue him for passing it to me! Anyways, Power Rangers are the property of Saban Entertainment and the Fox Network. Hope you enjoy! Comments and complaints welcomed! :-)
Author's Note: I hadn't planned to write this much. I wanted to stop during the part where Andros's Father was talking to Deca but oh well. Maybe I wrote more then I planned 'cause I almost cried when I heard this song . I think this was in one of the movies, I'm not sure which though. By the way, the title of this fic belongs to PhoenixFlame. Thanks Phoenix! :-) Oh and for those who were looking forward to the standalone "A Twist of a Different Fate" sorry but my muses aren't being cooperative. My Cassie and Phantom Muse has hidden my most useful muse, Ashley somewhere and they will not return her until I have finished theirs. This is a fic Andros and I were working on behind their backs. Enough talk from me, read on most of all ENJOY!!! *grins*
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By:SpaceRanger
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"Father! Father!!" A sobbing voice called out. Alisdair of KO-35 looked up from his debate with the Ambassador of Aquitar/White Ranger. He opened his mouth to scold his son for interrupting his work but all he could get out was "Andros" before fresh tears came down his six-year old face as he blurted out.
"Karone disappeared."
"WHAT?! How?!"
"Karone and I were practicing telekinesis as you and Mother told us to but the ball flew away 'cause Karone had pushed it too hard. I went to get it and I heard her scream my name. I called out to her but she didn't answer. I went back to the site where we were and she was gone."
"Go get your mother, tell her to see if Deca had been monitoring your activates, that way we can see what had happened. I'll be there in a little while."
"Yes Father." Alisdair turned back to the view screen right after Andros left.
"I'm sorry."
"Understandable," Chloe said tilting her head. "You have a family to care for right now. We can continue this discussion at a later date."
"Thanks." Chloe bowed in the tradition of her people.
"Our hopes go out to you in finding your daughter. May the Power protect you..." Then the screen winked out.
He stood up and reached out with his mind to find his daughter's recognizable mind. Alisdair could barely feel it. At least she's not dead, yet. He shoved the thought of his daughter dying.
*Be strong my daughter* Alisdair thought to her, hoping she'll be able pick it up, despite the fact she hadn't learned telepathy yet. He picked up his scanner from the drawer and ran toward the AstroMegaship.
He hurried to the ship's bridge and found his wife, Eileen, and Andros already there. "Anything on Karone?"
"I hadn't found the memory yet. But Alisdair, maybe she's still here, only we don't know it." Eileen said as she ran through some of Deca's memory banks. Alisdair nodded and looked over at the camera.
"Deca would you run a scan on the planet?" Their onboard computer immediately replied,
"Karone is no longer on KO-35."
"I think I found it. Deca, play this memory." Deca complied.
The stars disappeared from the viewscreen to be replaced by one of his children playing in the open fields with the telekinesis ball. The ball flew away from his son and Karone crouch there waiting for her brother to return with their toy. Then, someone ran toward her and Karone screamed as whoever it was quickly scooped her up.
"Andros!!!! Help me!!!!" She yelled. "ANDROS!!!" The camera zoomed away to look for Andros who was standing on tip-toes in a futile effort to see what happened.
"Karone?"
"Deca, rewind it to the part where Karone was being taken." Andros spoke up. Deca did so. "Stop there!" Alisdair looked at the screen and saw what had captured his son's attention, the back of Karone's captor.
"Some monster kidnapped Karone." Alisdair raised his eyebrow at his wife's words.
"Did you recognize him?" Eileen shook her head.
"The person who kidnapped him is a monster," She corrected, "One of Dark Specter's lackeys." He found himself about to curse and settled for,
"By the Powers." He felt as if his legs had lost its support and collapse into a chair with his face in his hands wordlessly.
"Why did they take Karone?" Eileen asked. Alisdair rubbed his face and looked over at his wife.
"I don't know Eileen...I don't know."
"It's my fault Father, I shouldn't have left Karone by herself." Alisdair jerked his head and looked at Andros, who had his head lowered in sorrow, shocked. Standing up, he walked toward his son and knelt on one leg so he could be eye-leveled with him.
"Look at me my son." Andros looked up and he could see tears shining in his hazel eyes. "I don't want you to blame yourself for this. It wasn't your fault."
"But..."
"Andros, you couldn't have known. What happened, happened is because someone wants to cause hurt to others to prove their powers. Don't blame yourself for something that someone else did. Okay?" Andros nodded.
"Yes Father." Alisdair wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"Good."
Down on my knees again tonight
Hoping this prayer will turn our right
See there is a boy that needs your help
I've done all that I can do myself
Mother is tired, I'm sure you can understand
Each night a he sleep she goes in to hold his hands
And she tries not to cry as the tears fill her eyes
A year after Karone's kidnapping, and they still hadn't found her. Alisdair noticed that Andros was no longer the happy and hopeful son he knew. He had changed and matured quickly, too quickly. Although Andros was already starting school he had no friends. He kept everyone at a distance. And his wife grew even more tired as the day passes.
He discovered why on the night he couldn't sleep. He heard Eileen get up and walk out of their room. Puzzled Alisdair got up and followed her. To his surprise she headed to Karone's room. He stood at the doorway and found her at the bed. She push away the covers and picked up the recognizable form of his son. She turned and saw him.
"How long has he done this?" He asked at last.
"Ever since Karone disappeared." Alisdair held out his hands and took the sleeping form of his son away from her.
"Go back to sleep. I'll take it from here." He took Andros to his room and silently close the door. He found the kitchen light on and headed toward there. He found her staring out the window and walk closer. Suddenly Eileen began to cry and he hugged her.
"Andros is growing up too fast. He should be up to mischievous things like other boys his age." Alisdair fault back his own tears and said nothing as he hugged her tighter.
Can you hear me,am I getting through tonight
Can you see him, can you make him feel alright
You can hear me let me take his place somehow
See he's not just anyone
He's my son
Alisdair was shifting through his paperwork when Andros walked in. "Father?" He looked up from his work in surprise as he asked.
"What's wrong Andros?"
"Karone isn't coming back is she?" Alisdair forced a smile on his face.
"We're doing our best Andros."
"I'm going to find her. I don't care how long it takes, how many trainings I have to go through. I'm going to find my sister and get her back."
"Andros..." Andros had already turned away and left. A lone tear fell down his face and he wiped it away.
As days passed on, Andros was always gone in the morning and didn't return on till late at night, worn out to the point collapse. He wouldn't acknowledge them except with a mumbled hi as he shoved his hands into his pockets trying to hide them. What has he been doing? Alisdair wondered.
He was awake when Andros returned one night. He heard him shower and head into his room. Pushing away the paper work he stood up he headed to his son's room. He saw his son had already fallen asleep and he turned on the light so it would be dark, but still allow him to see him. Curious about what his son was hiding from him he pulled up the sleeves of his son's jumpsuit and to his horror he saw bruises and bleeding knuckles. His vision was covered by white and the scene changed to one of the AstroMegaship's Bridge.
"I'm glad you're awake Alisdair." Deca said.
"What's going on Deca?"
"I thought I'd let you know of your son's activities these past few days."
"What do you mean?"
"Andros has not been eating well these past few weeks. What worries me is that he's always going into the simulation room. There, he fights the simulations without the safeties. Several times he would have been killed had I not yank the simulation off- line."
"And you wait until *now* to tell me?!" Alisdair yelled, his face red with fear and anger.
"I apologize, but you and Eileen have been too busy for me to interrupt." Alisdair blinked and cringed when he realized the AI was right. With a defeated sigh he collapse into a chair and began to cry.
"My son is changing too fast. Sometimes...sometimes I don't recognize him anymore. How can I reach to the scared little boy he's trying to keep hidden. I wish...I wish there was a way bring back the little boy I once knew."
Sometimes late at night I watch him sleep
I dream of the boy he'd like to be
I try to be strong and see him through
God, who he needs right now is you
Let him grow old live life without this fear
What would I be with him--without him here
He's so tired, and he's scared.
Let him know that you're there
"Hello I'm Zhane." Alisdair was surprised and pleased when 9-year-old Andros had found a friend who they were just introduced to. He clasp his wrist in greeting.
"Nice to meet you. Andros told us a lot about you."
"Especially the part where you're annoying." Andros added with a smirk. Zhane laughed as he pat him on the back.
"Hey, what are friends for?"
Ever since Zhane came into their lives, Andros began to smile and laugh more. Alisdair was amazed at the change in his son. When he and Zhane were getting some cookies from the line he said,
"Zhane, I want to thank you for being there for Andros." Zhane smiled.
"Hey, it's no problem. How did Andros get so serious anyways? I never dared to ask him." Alisdair sighed as he picked up four bags of cookies.
"Andros had a sister named Karone who's the same age as the two of you. Three years ago she was kidnapped while the two were practicing with the telekinesis ball. Since then Andros began to change. It hurts me to know that he takes all the blame upon himself."
"Oh...I'm sorry..." Alisdair shrugged.
"Don't be. You brought out the boy he tries to keep hidden away from others. Thank you." Zhane smiled again.
"What can I say? My family's silly acts are contagious."
Can you hear me, am I getting through tonight
Can you see him, can you make him feel alright
You can hear me let me take his place somehow
See he's not just anyone
He's my son
Then came the attack, Andros and Zhane had both became Rangers and had to defend the colony so Alisdair and Eileen left alone. Several weeks later, he heard from Deca that Zhane had gone into a deep coma no one expects him to wake up from. She also told him that Andros had gone back to the cold person who ceased to care of his own life. The only goal that's keeping him alive was his search for Karone.
Alisdair stared at the stars wishing there was someway he could spare his son of the pain that had distanced him away from the world.
"Powers, please let Andros learn to live again. Let someone be there for him. Please..." he whispered.
His whispered hope was answered through the Rangers who came from another galaxy, the active one being Ashley Hammond of Earth. The reports from Deca showed how the group from Earth had been able to cocks him out of the shell he put himself in. That was the last report before all contact with Deca stopped, causing him to worry about his son's safety. It was many months before Deca sent another report.
The war was over and the Rangers had won. The group was going to stay around Earth so they can be able to graduate before they move on. With the exception of the Blue and the Black Rangers, the group all had off-world soulmates they were going to move in with, especially since they were going to have no rest from the media on Earth. The two Rangers who didn't have off-world soulmates were also leaving but to Elar where they would help with the rebuilding process.
"I'd like to see my son." Eileen said at last. Alisdair smiled.
"As do I."
Can you hear me, am I getting through tonight
Can you see him, can you make him feel alright
You can hear me let me take his place somehow
See he's not just anyone...
Packing up their stuff they traveled to Earth. Landing in the Megaship the two headed toward the Bridge. As they drew closer they could hear two voices talking. One they recognized as Andros, the other one they didn't know. The two peeked in from the doorway to see that both sources of the voice were clad in civilian attire rather then their uniforms although Alisdair did notice that one was holographic.
"You still haven't told me your destination." The hologram said. Andros laughed, a sound that Alisdair hadn't heard for a long time.
"I already told you we're going to live on KO-35, Deca!." The hologram rolled her eyes.
"How am I suppose to plot the course if you do not tell me?"
"I can't tell you, you might leak it out to Ashley! Not to mention I know the other's habit of eavesdropping on people." Alisdair chuckled.
"Are you saying your friends are nosy?" Alisdair grinned when Andros jerked his head toward them with startled recognition.
"Father? Mother?"
"It's us Andros." Eileen answered with tears in her eyes. Andros ran toward them and hugged them tightly.
"You survived."
"The Phantom Ranger, whom you already know as your brother Andros James, helped us escape. " Andros pushed himself away and asked.
"Which reminds me, why didn't you tell me I had a brother in the first place?"
"We were going to tell you when you were old enough but you've already been hurting yourself over Karone. So we agreed that we shouldn't tell you or you'd feel even worse." Eileen explained. Andros smiled.
"I understand." They heard someone clear their throat. Alisdair then saw the three people he thought he never thought he'd be able to see again and almost choked on his words.
"By the Powers...James?! Karone?! Zhane?!" He soon found himself enveloped in hugs from his family as well as Zhane. Alisdair pulled Zhane away from him and looked at him at arms length for a moment.
"Not bad for someone who nearly died." Karone laughed.
"He's too stupid to know when to stay dead."
"Hey!" Zhane protested mock-indignant. "I still owe you for that shock you expose me to at our date."
"You dated my daughter?" Alisdair asked with mock-sternness. Zhane rubbed his neck sheepishly
"Ah...hee hee. Not really, Eclipter sent down a monster so we didn't exactly get to our date. I showed up late and with her temper Karone fired at me with her staff."
"I said I was sorry." His daughter complained.
"Hey Andros have you seen the..." They all turned to see 4 people in civilian attire including the girl Andros was talking to standing in front of the Turbovater with confused looks on their face.
"Guys these are my parents. Mother, Father, these are my friends. The One in blue is T.J. Johnson, former Red Turbo Ranger of Earth, now Blue Astro Ranger. The one in black is Carlos Valerte, former Green Turbo Ranger, now Black Astro Ranger. The one in pink is Cassie Chan, former Pink Turbo, now Pink Astro Ranger, as well as James' girlfriend."
"Hey!" James protested giving Andros a playful push. "The one in yellow is Ashley Hammond, Andros's fiancée."
"Hey!" Andros exclaimed shoving him back. Alisdair laughed as he put his arms around his three children. Thank you...He thought to whoever it was watching over his children.
Can you hear me, can you see him...
Please don't leave him
He's my son......