Disclaimer: Not mine

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Well... in the dream world, Ashley died on July 31, and in the real world, they found out she was pregnant on August 1. Just read this chapter. :P

Arwennicole: Well, Ashley dies in the dream world. She won't die in childbirth, I can promise you that much. The rest you'll just have to wait and see. :P

the-power-of-love: Yeah, and it get sadder, too. :P

Melissa: Okay, you can talk about how much you love the story in the next review. :P

DizneeDol: Yeah, that was sad. And it won't get much happier. :P

Chapter 18: Worse Than Just Visions

Ashley was still alive, but only just. He sat by her side, refusing to let go of her hand, as if his touch was keeping her alive. It might have been; her heart was already slowing, and her skin was pale and deathly cold.

"I'm so sorry," Aria whispered, her face pale. "There's nothing else that we can do. Andros, she's going to - going to -" She broke off, biting her lip hard.

"No," he cried. "No, she's not going to die. She's going to be fine. Ashley, wake up. Ashley!"

"Andros," Karone said quietly, her eyes brimming with tears. "She's dying, and unless you cut yourself off from her, you'll die with her."

"I can't," he cried out. "I just can't."

"Think of your children," Zhane urged, blinking furiously. "Do you want them to lose both their parents?"

He shook his head numbly, feeling sick to his stomach. He'd known Ashley for only a few short years, but in that time, he'd grown to rely on her constant presence in his mind, and had taken for granted that she'd always be there. He loved her more than life itself, and he hated himself for what he was about to do. Truthfully, he'd rather die now with her than live to raise their children, but he told himself that he had to. Zoe and Wyatt were already losing their mother. They shouldn't lose their father as well, just because he was too afraid to live without Ashley. If he abandoned them, Ashley would never forgive him.

"I'm so sorry, Ash," he whispered, leaning over to kiss her gently. Tears dropped from his eyes onto her cheeks, and he sat down at her side, crying unconsolably. "I love you."

Slowly, he began severing the telepathic and emphatic bonds that he shared with Ashley. As he felt her presence in his mind fading, he was overwhelmed by the emptiness that he knew could never be filled. His hand was gripping Ashley's, and her skin was so cold that he thought she was already dead. As he cut himself off from Ashley completely, her body began twitching, and she let out one terrified moan.

"Ashley," he whispered, cradling his wife's body in his arms. "Ashley."

Dimly, he heard the heart monitor flatline, and he hid his face against Ashley's neck, sobbing.

Andros shot up in bed, the images from this nightmare clear and fresh, not fading like the others. Sitting up, he wiped his eyes with the hem of the sheet. Ashley was sleeping peacefully beside him, and he lay down next to her, unable to forget what he'd seen in his dream.

He'd killed her.

Ashley had been dying, but when he'd severed the bond that they'd shared, it had killed her.

Slowly, careful not to wake her, he encircled Ashley completely in his arms, taking her hands in his, and did his best to stay awake. While he was used to having occasional nightmares, he'd never had them this frequently before, and twice in one night was just too much. He'd rather never sleep again than dream of being alone forever.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair, hoping she could hear him in her sleep. For a moment, he thought her hands tightened around his, and he smiled. His smile faded as he tried to imagine his life without Ashley. He couldn't do it. He couldn't live without her.

I'll never let her go, he vowed to himself. Never.

With no desire to sleep even a second longer, Andros lay there as the hours ticked by slowly, repeating the words to himself over and over, somehow hoping to make them true.

Ashley was his soul, and he couldn't live without her. She was everything that had ever mattered to him, and if it came to it, he'd give up everything he owned, everything he'd ever worked for, just to have her alive and well in his arms. There was nothing that could ever convince him to let her go, especially now.

He went weak with relief as he realized that Ashley hadn't been pregnant in his dream. No matter what, if she had been, he would have died to make sure that she lived. These were just dreams, after all, he thought. Just nightmares. Not visions.

He sighed with relief, and pulled Ashley as close to him as he could without waking her. He wasn't going to lose her after all. He could spend the rest of his life with his beautiful wife and four children, and never have to worry about monsters or aliens, or ever losing anyone he cared about.

Deca's alarm beeped loudly, and he jumped. Ashley stirred, and the moment she did, Andros leaned over, kissing the back of her neck gently, over and over again as she mumbled something, obviously trying to escape back into her undoubtedly pleasant dreams. Ashley rolled over, still half asleep, and Andros brushed his lips over hers until she opened her eyes.

"Good morning," he muttered against her lips, before leaning in to kiss her yet again.

"Morning," Ashley replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as he kissed her one final time before pulling her into the closest embrace she could remember.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" he whispered in her ear.

Ashley smiled. "I can guess," she whispered, reaching up to touch his face. "I love you too, Andros."

"I love you so much, Ashley," Andros breathed into her ear, "and I promise you, I'll love you forever, and I'll never let you go."

Ashley's arms around his neck tightened to the point where breathing became an issue, and finally, they were forced to let go of each other, and instead lay side by side, gazing into each others eyes.

"Are you all right?" Ashley asked after what seemed like a long time. "Last night, when you woke up, you seemed pretty-"

"I'm fine, Ash," Andros assured her, squeezing her hand. "They were just nightmares after all."

"So you're feeling better, then?" Ashley asked him, grinning.

"I can't remember feeling more relieved in my life," Andros confessed. "For awhile, I was starting to believe that I was having visions or something."

Ashley shook her head and kissed him gently, one hand his hair out of his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak when Deca's alarm went off again.

"We're already awake!" Andros shouted, but he was still smiling.

"We should get up, though," Ashley sighed. "I guess."

"Probably," Andros agreed. He sat up and glanced at the crib where Zoe and Wyatt were still sleeping soundly. "Lucky."

Ashley laughed as Andros gave his children a mock glare. "I'm taking a shower," she said. She glanced at him and smiled impishly. "Care to join me?"

"I'd love to," Andros said, catching her in his arms and lifting her up off the ground. Ashley laughed as he spun her around, wrapping her arms around his neck for a moment before heading to the bathroom.

It wasn't until they were both dressed and heading out the door that his world came crashing down.

"Have you noticed how Aria's been acting lately?" Ashley was saying, lifting Wyatt into her arms as he picked up Zoe.

"Yeah," he agreed. He paused and glanced at Ashley. "Do you think she and Cathan..."

Ashley shrugged. "You're not going to try to-"

"No," Andros said hastily. "Aria's liable to kill anyone who tries to protect her just for the hell of it."

Ashley grinned. "So get Zhane to do it."

Andros snorted. "I like that idea..."

"Karone would kill you," Ashley warned him when he seemed to be seriously considering the idea. "If Aria left her anything."

Andros grimaced. "Why do both of my sisters have to be stronger than me?"

"Not stronger," Ashley said thoughtfully. "Just more ruthless."

Andros nodded. "That seems to be a good description."

"But seriously, Andros," Ashley said, "you can't keep trying to protect them. Karone is an adult, and Aria is... well..."

"Aria?" Andros suggested dryly, and Ashley grinned.

"Yeah," she said. "But what's so bad about love? Sure, your heart's bound to be broken a few times, but if you're lucky, then you find someone who you can love with all your heart and soul, love so deep that you'd do anything for them, and anything to have them."

Andros frowned suddenly, staring at her.

"I'd give anything just to hold her one more time. Anything. It's like I'm torn in half, and without her I can't live."

His first nightmare from the previous night sprang unbidden from his mind, and he nearly dropped Zoe as he remembered the only words spoken by the person in his first nightmare, weeks ago now, the person whose face he couldn't remember.

"Still anything?"

Her only words, and Andros felt his blood run cold. It had been Aria who had been there that day in the cemetary, as Zoe and Wyatt had been buried.

"No," he whispered, hit with the harsh realization. These were not just dreams after all. They weren't just nightmares, and they were much worse than visions.

"What's wrong?" Ashley asked, taking Zoe from him as he started shaking. "Andros, what's wrong?"

"Deca," Andros said quietly, his tone one of complete calm. "Find Karone. I have a question for her."

And tell Aria I am going to kill her, he added silently. Shaking his head, he left the room without another word, knowing that he was about to have his worst fears confirmed.