Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. Zarkin, Commander Kincade,
Potcho, Luana, and Zineen are all mine.
Falling Under
By: Jeanka
The rain fell down from an unimaginably high place in the clouds. Ashley watched it from the dryness of the house, but her husband stood outside looking up into the down pour. She was staring out the glass sliding door examining him getting drenched. This worried her. Andros had been acting increasingly strange over the past several days.
A beeping noise caused Ashley to turn away from the window and push a button on her wrist. "Ashley here," she said into the communicator.
"How is he?" Zhane's voice asked softly.
Ashley frowned. "I'm really worried about him, Zhane. Seriously, I've never seen him this bad. Has Kinwon mentioned the insistent at the conference to you at all?"
"Dad just said that Andros exploded at one of the delegates. Was there more than that that he didn't tell me?" inquired Zhane.
"He almost punched him," Ashley said worriedly.
"What...?" asked Zhane.
"I know. What should I do? Something is wrong with him."
Zhane didn't say anything for several moments. She heard him sigh and then he said, "Maybe we should take him on a trip, like a vacation."
"Do you think that will help?" asked Ashley.
"I'm ready to try anything. I hate seeing him like this and I know it's killing you. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery," offered Zhane.
Ashley smiled and looked back out the door at Andros. "I hope your right."
"I'll get Karone and we'll pack. You call when you're ready to take off and leave everything else to me," said Zhane.
"Thank you, Zhane," Ashley said with her heart in her words. "Andros is lucky to have you as his friend."
"I know. Zhane out."
The channel went dead and Ashley was felt isolated inside her own house. Standing up, she went to their bedroom first and packed everything. That was the easy part. She hesitated at the top of the stairs before going down. Through the glass, she could still see Andros standing out in the rain.
She opened the door and called out to him. "Andros, would you please come inside?"
At first, he showed no indication that he had heard her. Then he turned to her and opened his eyes. Ashley didn't her best not to flinch. His eyes were empty. "I'll be right in," he said with a monotone voice.
She accepted this and went back in. A few minutes later, he came in, but instead of talking to her, he went straight for the shower. Ashley wasn't sure what to do. He never looked at her. How was she supposed to get him out of the house?
Another beep forced her not to cry. "Ashley here," she told them trying hard not to let her voice tremble.
"Is everything alright?" asked Karone. "You're in creditably miserable."
"He won't even talk to him," Ashley sobbed, unable to contain the tears. "I don't know what I did." A click came from another room and she absently realized it was the main door opening. She sank to the floor in crying sorrowfully. After several seconds, she felt arms encircle her and hold her tight. Then another person joined the first, but all Ashley could do was cry.
"Shh," she heard Karone whisper. "It will work out."
"Don't worry," said Zhane. "Everything will be fine." He let go and went to Andros's room to give the girls some time.
The Red Ranger sat on his bed with his eyes blankly starring at the wall in front of him. "Andros," Zhane said gently. He frowned when his best friend didn't even blink. "What's wrong?"
Unsteadily Andros turned to look at his friend with hollow eyes. "What do you want?" His voice was low, almost a snarl.
Zhane had no clue how to take that. "I just want to know if you're okay," he said smoothly.
"Really? I'm fine. Now, go home," he growled turning back to stare at the wall.
"Look, Andros. I don't have a clue what's wrong with you, but I wish you would cut it out. Can you see what you're doing to Ashley? Whatever is wrong with you and affecting her too and I won't stand for it. She deservers better than this. What about the child she's carrying, huh? Doesn't that matter to you anymore?" Zhane demanded.
He paused a second to allow Andros time to respond or think about what he was saying. When he didn't do anything, Zhane started to get angry. "Do you have any feeling at all?" he shouted at Andros.
The Red Ranger didn't even flinch. Zhane threw up his hands in frustration. "Why won't you talk to me? Can't think of an excuse? You know, there is more then one way to get you to talk and I'm not afraid to ask for help."
Zhane couldn't understand the reason for Andros's stubbornness, but he was ready to call in back up. He ran down the stairs and was relieved to see that Karone had coaxed Ashley into another room. He went over and sat on a stool at the counter. He reached for his communicator and opened a channel to the nearest ranger he could think of.
"Cassie," the person responded.
"Thank the stars," breathed Zhane. "Cassie, I need you're help."
"Why? What happened?" she asked worried.
"It's Andros. Something is wrong with him. I was hoping you could come and help take care of Ashley," said Zhane.
"Yeah, I'll be there shortly. Do you want me to bring Zarkin with me?" she asked.
"Please, I'll need his help," responded Zhane. "I need to get in touch with everyone else. See you when you get here."
"Bye. Cassie out."
Zhane called the rest of the Space rangers and got similar responses. He breathed a sigh of relief as he they began arriving. Carlos got there first followed by Cassie and her husband, Zarkin. TJ was last. Carlos and TJ were the first to go up to Andros while Cassie stayed with Karone and Ashley.
"How did it get this bad?" Zhane asked Zarkin as they sat at the dinning table. The older boy shook his head for an answer. "I mean, was I so blind that I let him hurt the people around him."
"Who are you talking about?" asked Zarkin.
"Some delegate," answered Zhane. "Apparently he tried to hit him."
Zarkin smiled. "I know. I was there and I wish they wouldn't have held him back. That guy deserved it."
"What are you talking about?" inquired Zhane.
Zarkin leaned back in his chair. "First, a short test, and then I'll tell you."
"Oh, Zarkin. I don't have time for your games. Just tell me what's going on."
"All in good time, brother. Be patient. The first question is easy. Who is the Power Rangers biggest galactic supporter?"
"You can't be serious," scoffed Zhane.
"Just answer the question," said Zarkin.
"Fine," Zhane said giving in. "Commander Kincade of Eltare."
"Good, how many children does he have?"
"You've got to be kidding me," gaped Zhane. Zarkin gave him a hard look and Zhane gave in. "Five."
Zhane expected Zarkin to object to the number. Everyone knew of three of them, Potcho, Luana, and Zineen, but what they didn't know was that Andros and Karone were also his children.
"No, four," said Zarkin with no emotion in his expression.
Suddenly Zhane realized what had happened. "When?" he asked gently.
"Less than a week ago, but the family hasn't announced it yet. The delegate was criticizing Commander Kincade's children – Andros's siblings. With everything that has been going on, he couldn't take it," said Zarkin.
"Who?" asked Zhane.
Zarkin breathed deeply before answering, "Zineen."
Zhane hung his head. Both boys were painfully aware of how close Zineen and Andros were. Her death had crushed him.
"Now, we know what to do," commented Zhane.
"I get the transport vehicle ready. But Zhane, he isn't on Eltare because he didn't want to go. He has to or I'm afraid he'll be like this for a long time."
Zhane nodded and began to climb the stairs. Andros was going to the Burning whether he liked it or not.
TBC
Falling Under
By: Jeanka
The rain fell down from an unimaginably high place in the clouds. Ashley watched it from the dryness of the house, but her husband stood outside looking up into the down pour. She was staring out the glass sliding door examining him getting drenched. This worried her. Andros had been acting increasingly strange over the past several days.
A beeping noise caused Ashley to turn away from the window and push a button on her wrist. "Ashley here," she said into the communicator.
"How is he?" Zhane's voice asked softly.
Ashley frowned. "I'm really worried about him, Zhane. Seriously, I've never seen him this bad. Has Kinwon mentioned the insistent at the conference to you at all?"
"Dad just said that Andros exploded at one of the delegates. Was there more than that that he didn't tell me?" inquired Zhane.
"He almost punched him," Ashley said worriedly.
"What...?" asked Zhane.
"I know. What should I do? Something is wrong with him."
Zhane didn't say anything for several moments. She heard him sigh and then he said, "Maybe we should take him on a trip, like a vacation."
"Do you think that will help?" asked Ashley.
"I'm ready to try anything. I hate seeing him like this and I know it's killing you. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery," offered Zhane.
Ashley smiled and looked back out the door at Andros. "I hope your right."
"I'll get Karone and we'll pack. You call when you're ready to take off and leave everything else to me," said Zhane.
"Thank you, Zhane," Ashley said with her heart in her words. "Andros is lucky to have you as his friend."
"I know. Zhane out."
The channel went dead and Ashley was felt isolated inside her own house. Standing up, she went to their bedroom first and packed everything. That was the easy part. She hesitated at the top of the stairs before going down. Through the glass, she could still see Andros standing out in the rain.
She opened the door and called out to him. "Andros, would you please come inside?"
At first, he showed no indication that he had heard her. Then he turned to her and opened his eyes. Ashley didn't her best not to flinch. His eyes were empty. "I'll be right in," he said with a monotone voice.
She accepted this and went back in. A few minutes later, he came in, but instead of talking to her, he went straight for the shower. Ashley wasn't sure what to do. He never looked at her. How was she supposed to get him out of the house?
Another beep forced her not to cry. "Ashley here," she told them trying hard not to let her voice tremble.
"Is everything alright?" asked Karone. "You're in creditably miserable."
"He won't even talk to him," Ashley sobbed, unable to contain the tears. "I don't know what I did." A click came from another room and she absently realized it was the main door opening. She sank to the floor in crying sorrowfully. After several seconds, she felt arms encircle her and hold her tight. Then another person joined the first, but all Ashley could do was cry.
"Shh," she heard Karone whisper. "It will work out."
"Don't worry," said Zhane. "Everything will be fine." He let go and went to Andros's room to give the girls some time.
The Red Ranger sat on his bed with his eyes blankly starring at the wall in front of him. "Andros," Zhane said gently. He frowned when his best friend didn't even blink. "What's wrong?"
Unsteadily Andros turned to look at his friend with hollow eyes. "What do you want?" His voice was low, almost a snarl.
Zhane had no clue how to take that. "I just want to know if you're okay," he said smoothly.
"Really? I'm fine. Now, go home," he growled turning back to stare at the wall.
"Look, Andros. I don't have a clue what's wrong with you, but I wish you would cut it out. Can you see what you're doing to Ashley? Whatever is wrong with you and affecting her too and I won't stand for it. She deservers better than this. What about the child she's carrying, huh? Doesn't that matter to you anymore?" Zhane demanded.
He paused a second to allow Andros time to respond or think about what he was saying. When he didn't do anything, Zhane started to get angry. "Do you have any feeling at all?" he shouted at Andros.
The Red Ranger didn't even flinch. Zhane threw up his hands in frustration. "Why won't you talk to me? Can't think of an excuse? You know, there is more then one way to get you to talk and I'm not afraid to ask for help."
Zhane couldn't understand the reason for Andros's stubbornness, but he was ready to call in back up. He ran down the stairs and was relieved to see that Karone had coaxed Ashley into another room. He went over and sat on a stool at the counter. He reached for his communicator and opened a channel to the nearest ranger he could think of.
"Cassie," the person responded.
"Thank the stars," breathed Zhane. "Cassie, I need you're help."
"Why? What happened?" she asked worried.
"It's Andros. Something is wrong with him. I was hoping you could come and help take care of Ashley," said Zhane.
"Yeah, I'll be there shortly. Do you want me to bring Zarkin with me?" she asked.
"Please, I'll need his help," responded Zhane. "I need to get in touch with everyone else. See you when you get here."
"Bye. Cassie out."
Zhane called the rest of the Space rangers and got similar responses. He breathed a sigh of relief as he they began arriving. Carlos got there first followed by Cassie and her husband, Zarkin. TJ was last. Carlos and TJ were the first to go up to Andros while Cassie stayed with Karone and Ashley.
"How did it get this bad?" Zhane asked Zarkin as they sat at the dinning table. The older boy shook his head for an answer. "I mean, was I so blind that I let him hurt the people around him."
"Who are you talking about?" asked Zarkin.
"Some delegate," answered Zhane. "Apparently he tried to hit him."
Zarkin smiled. "I know. I was there and I wish they wouldn't have held him back. That guy deserved it."
"What are you talking about?" inquired Zhane.
Zarkin leaned back in his chair. "First, a short test, and then I'll tell you."
"Oh, Zarkin. I don't have time for your games. Just tell me what's going on."
"All in good time, brother. Be patient. The first question is easy. Who is the Power Rangers biggest galactic supporter?"
"You can't be serious," scoffed Zhane.
"Just answer the question," said Zarkin.
"Fine," Zhane said giving in. "Commander Kincade of Eltare."
"Good, how many children does he have?"
"You've got to be kidding me," gaped Zhane. Zarkin gave him a hard look and Zhane gave in. "Five."
Zhane expected Zarkin to object to the number. Everyone knew of three of them, Potcho, Luana, and Zineen, but what they didn't know was that Andros and Karone were also his children.
"No, four," said Zarkin with no emotion in his expression.
Suddenly Zhane realized what had happened. "When?" he asked gently.
"Less than a week ago, but the family hasn't announced it yet. The delegate was criticizing Commander Kincade's children – Andros's siblings. With everything that has been going on, he couldn't take it," said Zarkin.
"Who?" asked Zhane.
Zarkin breathed deeply before answering, "Zineen."
Zhane hung his head. Both boys were painfully aware of how close Zineen and Andros were. Her death had crushed him.
"Now, we know what to do," commented Zhane.
"I get the transport vehicle ready. But Zhane, he isn't on Eltare because he didn't want to go. He has to or I'm afraid he'll be like this for a long time."
Zhane nodded and began to climb the stairs. Andros was going to the Burning whether he liked it or not.
TBC