Disclaimer: Not mine

Juzblue: Blaze and Alana do some interacting in this chapter. Blaze is generally more trusting than Alana, but she's got her reasons for that.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Thanks... What second mission? (I'm probably just asking this because I'm sleep deprived, and have enough trouble seeing the obvious anyway, but help me out a little, okay?) :P

Kaci: Thanks, the other story will be out after my next one, I think.

JDPhoenix: Some people never learn how to let go of their grudges... I know some people who could use puppies like that. :P

Jenny: Thanks, and I always update soon, as long as my computer happens to be working. :P

DizneeDol: Thanks, here's some more. :P

Chapter 12

Her first clue that she wasn't in the palace was the feel of two strong arms wrapped securely around her waist. Ashley opened her eyes slowly, hoping that it hadn't all been a dream. When she found herself staring into Andros's loving hazel eyes, she buried her face in his chest, never wanting to be anywhere else but safe in his arms.

"Did you sleep all right?" he asked, stroking her hair with one hand. "Any nightmares?"

Ashley shook her head, her face still hidden against him. Pulling back to look up into his eyes, she hesitated. "Andros? When you and Blaze were hiding in the wall, could you see everything?"

"I couldn't see anything," Andros said after a long pause. "But I could hear everything."

"That's what I was afraid of," Ashley mumbled, looking away. "Andros, you're not here because you feel guilty, are you? Because if you are -"

"I'm here because I love you," Andros interrupted, grasping her chin gently so he could look into her eyes. "I love you, Ash."

A moment later, he was surprised to feel the gentle pressure of Ashley's lips against his own. Startled, he pulled back, and Ashley glanced away, shifting uncomfortably, easing out of his arms.

"I'm sorry," Andros said softly. "Ash, I'm scared I'm going to hurt you, and if I ever did, then I'd -"

"But you didn't," Ashley broke in, meeting his eyes again. She sighed. "Andros, I stayed there of my own free will, and somehow, that makes it easier to accept what happened. It still hurts, but I... I can live with it, I guess."

Andros nodded, lowering his face to hers for the gentlest kiss Ashley could remember. Then it was his turn to look away, as he said hesitantly, "Ash, I heard everything that Killian was saying to you, and... I'll always love you. I'll always want you. And... and if there is a... a baby, then I... if you wanted me to, I..."

He stopped talking, knowing that he was doing a miserable job of it. Ashley nodded, unable to think of a reply. She knew what he was trying to say, and wished that it was true.

"It is time to wake up," Deca put in, and Andros sighed.

"You can stay here if you want," he said as he climbed out of bed. Ashley shook her head and stood up.

"I know," she said. "But I don't want to hide in here."

Andros drew her into a fierce hug. "Ash, I love you."

"I love you, Andros," Ashley whispered back to him as he released her. She'd grown accustomed to walking hand in hand with Andros, but she reached for his hand less out of habit than out of need. He squeezed her fingers gently, and they left the room.

The holding bay

"Morning," Ashley said softly as they entered the holding bay, unconsciously edging closer to Andros as a sudden quiet fell over the other rangers. He draped an arm around her, leading her to her seat without a word. Andros ordered them both some food and sat down next to her as she started to eat.

"You guys can keep talking, you know," he said a moment later, as the uneasy silence grew.

"Sorry," Cassie said, looking sheepish. "We just weren't sure if..."

She stopped, and looked to Zhane for help. The sliver ranger had no problem articulating what the pink ranger could not, and said bluntly, "We just weren't sure if Ash would freak out every time we said 'Arrow,' and if she didn't, we were pretty sure that you, Andros, would get angry, storm out of the room, and attempt to kill him yourself."

"I won't freak out hearing his name," Ashley assured them calmly, although Andros could feel how close to freaking out she truly was. "Fighting against him might be something different, though."

Andros was saved from making an equally false statement when Alana and Blaze appeared in the doorway, glancing around warily. "This room is used for eating?" Blaze asked.

"Among other things," TJ replied, gesturing over his shoulder at the Galaxy Gliders. "We use it to store our gliders."

"Are you guys hungry?" Karone asked them. "Deca will make you whatever you like."

"Anything?" Alana looked at them suspiciously.

"Anything," Carlos confirmed. "As long as you're not TJ or Zhane."

"Why's that?" Alana asked, apparently deciding to let Blaze eat first. If he didn't die within the next five minutes, Andros had a hunch that she would be eating as well.

"Well," Karone said, "Zhane plays too many pranks, and TJ... she just doen't like."

"I see," Alana nodded, still looking a little wary, but she edged closer to them as Blaze sat down at the table between TJ and Cassie. "When do we attack Arrow?"

"We can't until he shows up," Carlos said. "And we don't know when that will be."

"It better be soon," Zhane muttered, shooting a glance at Andros that the red ranger pointedly ignored. "Until then, you can use the Simudecks to train."

"Simudeck?" Blaze repeated.

"You can program it to be anything you like," Karone explained.

"That way you can practice fighting against your enemy and be able to stop if you get over your head," Zhane added, his eyes sliding towards Andros yet again. This time, his friend stared back at him until he looked away.

"It can simulater Arrow?"

"It can simulate anything," Zhane confirmed.

"This ship is huge," Blaze remarked. "We have nothing like this."

"You're welcome to use anything on it," Andros said. "As long as Deca approves."

Alana had finally selected some food, and she chose a spot between Blaze and Cassie, sitting considerably closer to Blaze. "Will we all be fighting together?"

"Of course," Cassie exclaimed. "We're all on the same team now."

"We are?" Alana exchanged glances with Blaze before looking at Cassie, who rolled her eyes.

"You two," she said, "are starting to remind me of Andros."

"We are?" Alana's expression was skeptical.

"The old Andros, anyway," she said, and stopped talking abruptly. The old, untrusting Andros had vanished once Ashley had broken through to the person buried inside, and Cassie had a feeling that was something that he would rather not be thinking about right now, not when he was also beating himself up for not protecting Ashley. It wouldn't take much convincing for Andros to believe that he wasn't good enough for her, and if he arrived at that conclusion, he would end up hurting Ashley far more than anyone else ever could.

"What she means is, you two gotta learn to lighten up," TJ said, changing the course of the conversation enough for Cassie to be immensely grateful. "I don't know what it was like in your dimension, but here, when we're not fighting, we try to have fun. Live a little."

"What do you do for fun?" Blaze asked curiously, ignoring Alana's sharp glare.

"Are you done eating?" Zhane asked. Blaze's plate was empty, and Alana shoved hers away, nodding as he did. "Then come on, we'll show you guys around."

"We'll catch up to you guys," Andros said as the others pushed back their chairs and stood, following Zhane, Blaze, and Alana.

"Okay," TJ called over his shoulder.

"Ash?" Andros asked gently. Ashley shook her head and shoved away a plate still full of food.

"Do you think they're uncomfortable around me?" Ashley asked so softly he almost didn't hear her. "Or was I just imagining it?"

"I don't think you were imagining it," Andros said slowly. "But I don't think they're doing it on purpose."

"Then why did they all stop talking when I came in?"

"I think they were telling the truth when they said they didn't know how you'd react," Andros said after a moment. "If you talk to them, I think they'll calm down, or I could talk to them, if you want."

Ashley shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I'd better do it myself. That way, I'll know that they aren't just being nice to me because you made them."

She spoke calmly and rationally, but Andros knew how badly she was hurting. He opened his mouth to say something to comfort her, but anything he could have said wouldn't have made a difference. He stood up, pulling Ashley to her feet, and then into his arms.

"Thank you," Ashley whispered several minutes later, stepping back. In answer, Andros kissed her gently, and slipped his hand into hers.

"Come on, Ash," he said as they left the holding bay. "We've got some work to do."