Disclaimer: Not mine

NinjaStorm4Life: This is next. :P

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Nope, not dead. My parents think I'm addicted to games. :P I'm updating, and now I'll go review all your chapters.

Jenny: Hey, you and Demon have something in common! He was dropped on his head as a baby, too. :P This part's a little different than the in the last one. I promise, I won't rewrite this story again, so tell Subconscious to shut up. It's okay if you're obsessed with weddings. Weddings are fun. I sent you a summary yesterday. And yes, I went to your website. AOL kicks me off whenever I click on the Guestbook. I think it's trying to tell me something. :P

DizneeDol: Here's more. Sorry it took me so long to update. I couldn't get online. But here's some more. :P

the-power-of-love: Thanks, here's more.

Arwennicole: Yeah, it gets kind of intense here. Thanks, here's more. :P

Chapter 10

Andros closed his eyes as the water moved up to swallow him, not sure that he was going to survive the fall. He'd thrown himself sideways out of the small hole Ashley had made just as Psycho Red had begun firing his blaster. The laser fire had burned his left shoulder badly, as well as the rest of the arm. His right side had gone first, and had therefore taken little damage from the lasers, although there was a long scraped running across the right side of his ribs from the jagged edge of the wall.

He inhaled sharply just before he crashed into the waves, emerging a moment later, sputtering. The salt water was burning his wounds, and he could almost feel the burn on his shoulder pulsating.

"Ash?" he called. "Where are you?"

He jumped as he felt something brush against his arm, until he realized that Ashley's gloved hand was searching for his. She was underwater, breathing the air contained in her helmet, but there was only so much time before the water slowly started leaking in. Andros ducked his head as close to the surface of the water, and they set off.

Their only advantage was the darkness of night. Soon, the cliff that the prison-like establishment had been hidden in was out of sight, although only a hundred yards away. Ashley surfaced again, her suit gone. The Power would have kept her endurance going longer, but bright yellow stood out against the darkness.

"Are you all right?" she asked him as they paused to rest, treading water. "When I saw you fall, I thought..."

"I'm fine," Andros said through grit teeth, glad he couldn't see his left arm. He could feel it, though, and it hurt like hell.

"No, you're not," Ashley insisted. "You're in pain."

"I'm not really feeling it yet," Andros lied. "The adrenaline hasn't worn off yet."

"Do you think they'll follow us?" Ashley asked fearfully, listening to the waves crashing around them, trying to pick up anything that might signal their pursuers.

"Not the Psychos," Andros assured her, knowing that one arm was pressed to her stomach. "They can't swim without electrocuting themselves. Sol might try, but I think Arcanus is too old."

"Do you know how far we've come?" Ashley asked suddenly. Andros shook his head.

"Why?"

"The waves go towards the shore," Ashley said. "If we're far enough away from that cliff, we'd end up on a different shore."

"I think we're still too close," Andros said. "I don't think we've come that far."

"We can't have been going that slow." Ashley sounded frustrated, and Andros sighed.

"Ash, you can go on ahead of me," he told her. "I'll be all right."

Ashley glared at him. "Do you really think I spent the last three months searching for you just so I could abandon you in the middle of the ocean?"

Andros grinned sheepishly at her, finding it odd that he could be happy right now. "If I said yes, would you go?"

He was suddenly pushed underwater as Ashley threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him so hard he thought he might suffocate. "I'm never leaving you," she whispered fiercely in his ear. "Never."

"I'll never want you to," Andros whispered back, letting her hold him for a minute longer before saying, "Ash, I think we're sinking."

"Wha... Oh, sorry." Ashley let go of him, and Andros' head came up out of the water.

They started to swim again, heading in the straightest line they could manage. Despite what he'd said earlier, Andros was most certainly not fine, and Ashley slipped her arm under his shoulders, helping him stay afloat.

"Do you see that?" Ashley asked awhile later, extending her arm out in front of her. "Is that land?"

"I don't see... yes?" Andros squinted, but he wasn't sure if there was actually land up ahead, or if he'd just gotten too much salt in his eyes.

"Just relax," Ashley said, and Andros inhaled sharply when she touched his burned arm. "Let the water pull us there."

He nodded sliently, but did not relax until he felt semi-solid ground appearing under his feet. Ashley stumbled, and he caught her with his good arm, only to be dragged down with her as she tripped. They ended up sitting on the ocean floor, held under by a surprisingly strong force, even though they were only feet from shore.

Ashley emerged, sputtering and retching ocean water, feeling sick to her stomach. When she looked to her left, she saw that Andros was doing the same, and they slowly staggered out of the water. Andros collapsed the instant he was out of the water, nearly falling asleep right there in the sand. Ashley was tempted to let him stay there, but sighed heavily, knowing that they should find some sort of shelter.

"Andros," she pleaded. "Come on, get up."

"I can't go any further, Ash," Andros muttered, his eyes closed. "I'm too tired."

"Andros, it's just a little farther, I promise," she said, tugging on the arm that was, fortunately, uninjured. Reluctantly, Andros let her pull him to his feet, stumbling the instant he tried to walk. She heard him hiss in pain, but he said nothing, draping his arm around her for support again.

They moved slowly, Ashley feeling guiltier by the second as she dragged Andros along, hearing him inhale sharply every time he was forced to put weight on his left leg. She was about to let him sit down again when she saw that the shoreline curved. There was cliff to their right now, and the curve was away from them, so she shouln't have been able to see what was on the other side, but somehow, Ashley could.

In her mind, she saw the caves that had been one of her favorite spots growing up. She saw herself coming often with her family, and she groaned with frustration and self-disgust.

"We're in Angel Grove," she said, stopping abruptly, causing Andros to trip over his feet. He landed on his left leg and cried out in pain. Ashley winced and tightened the arm that was around his waist. "We're in Angel Grove."

"We're what?"

Ashley burst into tears, her tangled wet hair falling forward over her face. "We're in Angel Grove, Andros. I was here a week ago! I was here looking for you right after you disappeared! How did I not find you?"

"Ash, don't cry," Andros whispered, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "Please don't cry."

"You were so close the whole time," Ashley muttered. "We practically destroyed the galaxy trying to find you, and you were here the whole time."

"It's all right, Ash," Andros murmured. "You found me in the end."

"No I didn't," Ashley wailed. "Psycho Yellow came and brought me there. I must be the worst -"

"Ash," Andros whispered. "Thank you for saving me."

Ashley stared at him, tears still coming down her cheeks. "You're not upset I didn't find you?"

"Ash, if it wasn't for you, I'd be dead right now," Andros reminded her softly, touching her cheek. Ashley buried her face in his shoulder, and for a minute, he wasn't sure who was supporting who. "Ash, can I sit down now?"

"I'm so sorry!" Ashley blurted out. "There's some caves right over here. We'll be safe there."

Guiltily, she helped him to the caves, setting him down gently when they'd gone as deep as they could. Andros sank down onto the sand wearily, and Ashley fell down next to him.

"Let me look at your leg," she said. Andros protested, but Ashley insisted, and Andros found himself obeying. He closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep, but when he heard Ashley gasp in horror, he had a feeling that she wasn't going to let him.

He opened his eyes and winced when he saw his leg. Even in the darkness, he could see the significant contrast in the color of the burned skin and his normal skin. Psycho Red's shot had burned straight through what had once been the boots of his Megaship flight suit, and the metal and leather had been melted away.

"It might have fused to your skin," Ashley warned him, touching the area gingerly.

"How bad did he get my shoulder?" Andros asked her. He was barely feeling his leg at the moment, and it was his left arm that was making him want to cry with pain.

He flinched when Ashley reached towards his shoulder, whimpering softly when her fingers touched him.

"I'm sorry," Ashley whispered, drawing her hand back quickly. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's all right," Andros muttered, his eyes refusing to stay open any longer. "Ash, can I sleep now?"

Ashley hesitated. "Yeah," she said. "I'll wake you up if I hear anything."

In their wet clothes, the cool night breeze felt like and icy wind, and Andros and Ashley found themselves huddled together in an effort to stay warm. Ashley sighed and sat back, watching Andros when something occured to her.

"Hey," she whispered, shaking him slightly. "Wake up for a minute."

Andros opened one eye. His head was resting in her lap, and he looked up at her questioningly.

"Can you reach Zhane or Karone?" she asked.

Andros closed his eyes, feeling for their presence, and he felt it, but much more dimly than he was feeling Ashley's.

"Zhane?" he called. "Karone?"

"Andros?"

He heard them both at once, and sighed with relief.

"It's me," he said weakly. "Ashley's with me. We're in Angel Grove."

"You're what?"

Zhane and Karone reacted to the news as Ashley did.

"We're coming, man," Zhane assured him. "Hang on."

"They hearrd me," Andros mumbled sleepily to Ashley, who touching his face gently.

"You can rest now," she said. "Don't worry, you'll be back on the Megaship soon."

Andros nodded his head drowsiliy, muttering, "I love you, Ash."

'I love you too," Ashley whispered.

Outside, the skies suddenly broke loose, spilling forth gallons of water that hadn't been there moments before. Ashley shivered as the temperature dropped even further, and took Andros' hand, more for her comfort than his, wondering if they were being watched.