Disclaimer: The Power Ranger's do not belong to me; to be actual truthful I don't even remember whom they belong to anymore. Oh well, I just gotten into the mood to write a bit about them, so I am not necessary concern about details. I just write, to entertain my friend Jade, and other people, and fans.

Relationship: Andros/Zhane relationship, it isn't graphic to tell you the bloody truth. However, if you cannot handle these types of relationship, please avoid at all cost, and don't take it out on me.

Note: Another thing, I am not really following any continuum of PR, in fact most of the continuum has been screwed with so much, that I am not really concern about order that much like I use to be. -_- Not to mention minor details and all those things, I am more into making some dreams coming true. I also don't really care about pairing, I can write any sort of pairing even canon. So I don't really feel anything about the groups of screaming people about people have to be paired with whom. That is all I have to say, and that is that onto the story.

Chapter 5
Deeper Side of Pastel Ashes

I let people see what they want to see. However, they don't know the deeper side of me, but I want them to notice me, so I act to be that person, that they would have no choice but to deal with. ~ Ashley Yellow Astro Ranger

It was cold outside in Angel Park Cemetery, a yellow clad teen sat on one of the tombstones staring out at the stars that light up the sky. It was the only time that she could find time to reflect on this day, the day her half brother ended up dying. Hand smoothing against the granite stone that was cold to the touch, the words etched on the surface was Chris Hammond, Beloved Son of Luke and Merry Bell Hammond.

Eyes distance until tears spilled over the surface until it drips onto the soil grave of grass. Flowers of difference roses were place in the vase, "I am sorry Chris," her voice choked up, "I am sorry that I was unable to protect you, against him."

~*~*~*~*~*

When Ashley was five her biological father George Darlin had been arrested for spousal and child abuse. Her mother Merry Bell Darlin ended up divorcing George; she was quite a mess from the onslaught of abuse from her ex-husband. It was evidently clear that five year old Ashley also didn't come out of the experience unscarred, rather the child face several emotional trauma.

When Merry Bell met Luke in a bookstore they were attracted to each other, they later on gotten married, founding a stable environment for Ashley. Chris was born to them, when Ashley was seven; they grew together, and love each other deeply. Chris looked up to Ashley, while the girl dotted on him, they were everything together, they all moved to Angel Grove since Luke had obtained a new job in that area. So they move there, when both parents were gone, they had a neighbors watch over both children. However, unknown to them that George Darlin had been release from jail and had tracked down where his begotten child and former wife were located at enrage to discover another child, which belong to his ex-wife and another man.

George kidnapped Chris and Ashley taking them away, the neighbor Harriet put up a fight, but in the end was beaten up, she manage to call the police. When the police reach the vicinity the children were gone. It took five days for the police to finally locate the kidnap children. However, to the police discover they found a half starved Ashley holding the dead body of her half brother, he was severely beaten to death, the girl also suffered severe trauma emotionally, her body also suffered physical beaten. As for Mr. Darlin, he was found dead a scissor was embedded in his heart. Blood was also found on the hands of the girl, that match that of the George Darlin, she was bought to Angel Grove Hospital to be treated for her wounds.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ashley trembles slightly, while her hands smooth the stones, "I'm so sorry that I wasn't fast enough Chris. I would have killed the bastard earlier before he gotten to you, I'm sorry."

Hands trembling, she kneel down next to the tombstone, "you were everything to me little brother. Please tell me, what I can do to redeem myself." Sobs racket her body, "It should have been me, I should have been the one to die."

A hand grip onto her shoulder, "Do you honestly believe that Ash?" The familiar voice of Carlos trails a bit to her conscious.

"Carlie?" Ashley sobs, then turn around to hug tight onto him. "Why? Now?" Tears drip down her cheeks.

"I should have known why you were acting more weirder," Carlos whispered slightly, "Oh Ashley I am sorry, I was so busy with my schedule that I didn't see what was going on with you. It should have been evidently clear that you were suffering that you wanted help when you started to use that teddy bear of Chris to chase after the others."

"Carlie." The Yellow Astro Ranger whispered brokenly, "I'm scare Carlie, I'm so scared, I don't want to be alone. Chris is gone, I killed Daddy, Mom and Lucie doesn't see me. I only wanted them to pay attention to me Carlie I didn't mean any harm." Her figure cringes slightly then cowered against his warm heat. "I don't know what to do Carlie, I miss Chris, I want Chris back, he always pay attention to me."

"Shhh Ash, I am here so is Chris, you just can't see him, but every time you remember the happy things you did together, then he is right here beside you." The Black Astro Ranger made friends with Ashley and Chris when they first moved down; they were across the street neighbors. When the kidnapping happens, he was away to visit some cousins with his parents, so he didn't know what happen until he looked at the news.

Ashley shivered a little bit, "How are you so certain he would be with me when I remember things we did?"

"Oh Ash," Carlos whispered in sorrow, "He is there alright, like the wind, you can feel the wind yet you cannot see it."

"It isn't right Carlie." The yellow ranger cried out in pain, "I am not insane Carlie you know that right?" Her fingers trembles against the arms that wrapped around her, "I only wanted you to remember me that is all."

The black ranger rub the soft brown curls a bit, "Ash I remember you, I know your not insane, but don't be this way anymore. Chris, wouldn't like you to mourn for him forever." He soothed the distraught teenager, while feeling her nails bit into his arms, the pressure hard and rough.

"Don't patronize me Carlie! Damn it! Stop babying me, this isn't what I want, you know that." Hiccupping she felt Carlos chuckle softly.

"I'm not. I just want you to feel better, honestly Ash, we've been together for how long, I've watch over you, I am proud of you, for who you are becoming, I know you miss Chris." A breezes push against the leaves of the trees swaying them, "Ash you are a very strong woman, you've gotten over monster attacks, boogieman that hid underneath your bed, to even my awful jokes on fire hazards." This prompted a laugh from his best friend, "you're my best friend, and I love you, if you need me you can call on me. You even can call on the others you know that."

Ashley smiles slightly, "Thank you. I'm sorry, if I acted way out of character on the ship." Eyes downcast, "I thought it would make people notice me, if I pretended to be on Prozac. I even though it would have been a funny joke."

"Why did you think I didn't let them know you didn't need Prozac?" Carlos shakes his head a bit, "Though I don't see what is with that whole stunt of almost blowing up the ship."

"Oh didn't you know? That was DECA's idea, she wanted to get back at Andros, and so she told me to do it." The yellow ranger giggles, "She is one heck of a deal player."

"I swear AI's are a pain in the rear, especially that one, last evening she created some weirdo food that made TJ run away in a flash." He shudders at the memory, "I can't believe Zhane could stomach that stuff."

Stiffening a bit in his arms, curious brown eyes look up into the dark hair teen, "Say Carlos you're not going to break your promise now are you?" Her fingers curl a bit around the muscular arm, her voice was serious, when she drop the façade of calling Carlie.

"I don't break my promises Ash, you know me, unless something happen to me like I was killed or maybe I got hurt." Winking a bit to let her know he was teasing, "Honestly Ash, I'll be there like I have always been to help you."

"I wish people were like you Carlie." Going back to the little girl routine, "My boy friend doesn't seem to treat me as good as you do."

Noticing the tears that were creeping back into the younger of the two, Carlos petted her back rubbing it, "Ash, I really don't understand why you would go with Brandon. He never did treat you right, sure he is the foot ball captain so on so forth, but still…you deserve better then him."

Ashley lower her head even more, "cause no one wants me, and you were to busy to notice me, I even try to get Andros to notice me, but he doesn't want me." Her lips tremble slightly, "I didn't want to be alone anymore Carlie."

The black Astro ranger shook his head slightly, while sliding a bit to pull Ashley's chin up. "Ashley, that isn't a good reason to go out with that guy, besides I heard something about him, which makes me worry even more about you."

"What do you mean?" Jerking a bit, at the thought of something wrong, with her new boyfriend, she knew that Carlos wouldn't lie to her, he always was trying to help her, however could she take another heart ache?

"Ash! Brandon's been cheating on you, he well he isn't really into girls, he is gay, Brandon has been going out with his best friend name Mike." Feeling strained a bit about telling this sort of truth that would end up injuring his bests friends female pride. "There also are rumors that he is also selling some stuff, that would get him into a whole lot of trouble."

"I see." Ashley whispered, "So he is only dating me for image, but he is really homosexual, that explains a few things." Calm as the wind, Carlos felt a bit nervous at this unnatural calmness around his friend.

"Many of us wanted to tell you, but you were so happy, and I, well I didn't want to hurt you because of this truth." Eyes shifting slightly to the right, "I also didn't want to make myself seem selfish, though I was jealous a bit."

"Jealous?" Astonishment finally replaced the eerie calmness. "What do you have to be jealous of Carlos?" Noting that her friend seems to have lost quite a bit of weight, perhaps he wasn't eating right.

Taking a deep breath Carlos lifted his head to look into those caring orbs, "I was jealous because he had you. That he could be close to you in that way, that he could hold you, while I am on the other side watching it." It hurt the thought of losing his friend, to be denied everything that he was, to watch her walk away from him to another. "It is selfish to want that, to hope that one day you will look at me and want me in the more then friend fashion."

It was a surprise; inwardly the yellow ranger was beating herself up for not noticing the signs from her friend, since she so bent on her pathetic life. After all her friend use to look at her strangely, he also went out of his way to help her, not to mention he was really over protected of her when she had trouble with some of the guys in high school. Yet the biggest question is does she want him in that way or not, "Could you give me a little bit of time?" Knowing inwardly that she probably sliced her friend in two by that admission, yet she didn't want to rush things, after all she just discovers her boy friend was into guys.

Carlos just smiled at her; he knew that his friend was confused; after all, she had so much happen to her in a span of few minutes. "I understand." Though it didn't mean that he wasn't hurting from the slight remote answer, but it was all he could hope for from a circumstance like this. "I'll wait for your answer, but don't worry, take your time. I've been waiting for a while, I can still wait." Noticing that Ashley shoulder deflated a bit from the rush of relief, she was feeling. "For now, lets enjoy the stars."

The black ranger pick up his friends hand and held it, they both glance up at the sky watching the stars twinkle in the midnight star.