Summary: Five years after a broken engagement, Andros visits Tommy and his new team. What he finds there, he couldn't even imagine in his wildest dreams.
Phantom Rogue: Yes, of course she had a reason! Andros just doesn't know it! Why wouldn't Andros spent 5 years feeling sorry for himself? He did 2 when Zhane 'died'. Karone is VERY pregnant again. :P
XRachX: Well, I had a few chapters ready before I put the story up, but I ran out of them already, so when you find a bad chapter in, tell me and I'll see what I can do to change it.
Juzblue: Thanks! I really wasn't sure if the song would be a hit! I'm still not telling either!
The real vampire: Glad you like the song.
Mandy: Thank you! I'm beginning to feel proud of that song now.
Serenitylovegod: Yay, another someone who liked my song.
DizneeDol: Yeah, it's sad, but right now, this is a sad story. The dream might indeed be the future, but I'm not telling.
Anonymous: Thank you.
Jenny: Parents suck like vacuum cleaners! Actually, I don't know what the song is named… I know, bad me. Maybe 'You're Gone'? Who says Ashley is Nate's mother? Maybe Andros really did move on.
Mz. Daydream: Like I told Jenny, maybe Ashley isn't the mother, maybe she is. That smilie is cute.
NinjaStorm4Life: This is next.
The-power-of-love: YOU HATE IT. cries
Not Always The End
Chapter 6
A week had passed already and Mesagog seemed to be laying low. Both Tommy and Andros knew not much good could come of that - the calm before the storm that foretold all too much all too often.
During the past week Andros had met the rest of the Dino team, spent a lot of time in Tommy's secret basement while Tommy was teaching, wondering around the forest or just sit around doing nothing. It was a welcome break, though.
At the moment he was talking a walk again. Tommy had come home with a mountain of essays begging to be graded and he didn't want to do it in the weekend, so Andros had left to give him some peace to do it.
A sigh escaped his lips. Friday again, if he was right, Conner was to his soccer practise, Trent was helping Hailey in the Cyberspace, Ethan was probably hanging out there and Kira had been able to catch a ride from Tommy, needing to baby-sit Jenny again.
Suddenly he heard a twig snap and it didn't come from under his own feet. Immediately he dropped into a fighting stance, his ears and eyes strained to locate the source of the sound. To his right something black streaked through the trees.
"Tyranodrones." Andros muttered, remembering Tommy's (somewhat) detailed description of them. "Okay, then… let's see what these guys have against ."
Reacting to his call, ten drones appeared from between the trees, successfully surrounding him.
"Guess the only way for me to get through is to fight you." Andros shrugged. "Let's rocket!"
Pressing the morphing combination on his morpher, a red light surrounded him accompanied by a sudden rush of adrenaline. When the light faded, the red Astro Ranger stood in the middle of the forest.
"Spiral Saber!" He called, not even bothering with hand-to-hand battle.
He quickly slashed the drone right in front of him across the chest. Spinning around in a full circle hoping for a lucky hit. He got several, but some drones were smart enough to jump back, before attacking him from behind. He crumpled under the sheer weight of the mutant, falling face forward into the dirt, losing his saber during the fall. Luckily the drone's momentum made it roll off him, right into a tree, knocking it out.
Andros quickly pushed up and got back to his feet only to be attacked from the front and getting knocked down again. This time he used his own momentum to throw the drone of him into another tree. When he got to his feet again he was prepared for the coming attack. He leaped into the air and somersaulted over the drone.
In the moment it took the drones to register what happened and turn around, he looked around for his sabre - it lay about 10 feet away. Kicking an oncoming drone in its stomach so it went toppling into a few of his friends creating a domino effect, he reached out and telekinetically summoned his saber back.
The moment is fingers wrapped around his saber again, he spun, it connected with an oncoming drone, knocking it down. This time he managed to hold onto his saber and quickly got rid of the remaining drones.
Once he was sure they were all done for, he demorphed.
Taking a quick look around to make sure the coast was clear, he rushed back to Tommy's house, only to find it deserted. Not having to think about it, he immediately opened the door to the secret basement. Sure enough when he came downstairs both Tommy and Hailey were present.
"Hey." Tommy greeted. "Thanks for taking care of those drones."
"No problem. I needed a work-out." Andros replied lightly.
Just then the alarms started wailing. Tommy's fingers immediately danced over the controls. On the monitor of a computer the image of a hideous monster attacking the city appeared. Tommy's fingers flew over the controls again, contacting the other rangers. Then he turned to Hailey.
"I dropped Kira off down the road when I came home, she says she's still there. Can you watch Jenny during the fight?"
"Sure." Hailey answered, before turning around and walking up the stairs to intercept Kira and Jenny.
Andros watched her go for a moment and then turned to Tommy.
"Want me to monitor the battle?" He suggested.
"That would be great. Mind backing us up if we totally lose it?"
Andros laughed.
"I'm sure it won't ever come to that, but as long as I'm here I'll be standing to the side, weapon ready, prepared to save your butts."
"Thanks man."
"No problem."
Any reply Tommy might have given was cut of by Kira storming down the stairs to the basement, her head a bit flushed from running.
"Ready?" Tommy inquired.
"Yeah." Kira breathed and Tommy moved to stand beside her.
"Dino Thunder Power Up!" They cried in unison and morphed.
With a wish of good luck from Andros, Kira got onto her raptor-cycle and Tommy onto his ATV and they were off. Andros sat down in the chair Tommy had occupied only moments before, his mind leaving the battle in front of him, but keeping enough attention to notice if anything was up. Instead in started wondering again, reminding him it used to be him out there protecting this planet with Ashley at his side.
There was no denying they had formed a great team together, their motions so synchronized no one could get through their defence. They seemed to bring out the best of each other.
Flashback
He ducked a tornado kick, dropping to the ground for a sweep kick when her feet found ground again, but she was prepared. The moment her feet touched the ground they left it again as she flipped back. When he straightened again, a punch came his way, but he caught her fist. She tried to punch with her other arm, but he caught it again. She wasn't completely helpless, though, throwing her weight back and moving one foot to his stomach. He was pulled with her as she fell to the ground and was launched by his momentum. He hit the ground face first and rolled over to his back, only to have her sit down on his stomach, pinning his arms to the ground beside his head.
"Got you!" She beamed. "Give up yet?"
"Never." He vowed, pulling his arms apart, making her lose her support.
She came tumbling down on him and he rolled over, pinning her to the ground.
"Now who's the winner?" He grinned.
Her clear laughter rang through the air and her big brown eyes beamed up at him.
"You know I could still get out of this, right?"
"Yeah, but you won't."
"Make me." She grinned.
Not having to be told twice, he bent down and pressed a kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, she captured his lips again, freeing her arms and wrapping them around his neck. It wasn't long before they were caught up in each other, the rest of the world seeming to disappear.
Then a voice interrupted them.
"Get a room you two, we want to spar!"
They quickly pulled back and flushed when they spotted the grinning black and blue rangers.
"One more word and you won't need to morph." Ashley threatened, as Andros scrambled to his feet and offered her a hand.
They quickly left the Simudeck and didn't stop until they reached the empty holding bay. Ashley dropped down on a stool and Andros walked over to the Synthetron ordering them both something to drink, before joining her.
"You can't blame them, Ash." He tried to sooth her. "We were kinda asking for it, making out in a public place."
Ashley's eyes started to sparkle again and she grinned innocently.
"Oh, I'm not mad at them. They had every right to be there, but they don't have to know that."
Andros laughed and they sat in silence for a moment.
"You know…" Ashley started thoughtfully. "They do have a perfect timing. I mean, if they entered about ten minutes later, it would have been really embarrassing. We'd never have lived it down."
Andros nearly chocked in his drink and stared at her. When she made an innocent face, he laughed.
"Sneak." He accused teasingly.
End flashback
Andros was shook out of his thoughts when the team returned from the battle, a bit battered and brushed, but victorious.
"They should make a law against ugly monsters." Kira complained.
"I believe there's already a law against monsters in general." Conner joked. "Why else would we be fighting them?"
"Because else they'd trash the city?" Trent suggested, causing Kira to laugh.
"Great job, guys." Tommy praised. "Now how about we meet that adorable baby-sitting job you can't stop bragging about, Kira?"
"Oh god, I almost forgot." Kira gasped.
She quickly ran up stairs, the others and Andros following at a slower pace.
"That's it. I say she's lost it." Conner muttered under his breath.
When Andros followed them into the living room, time seemed to slow as a little girl about 4 years old in a yellow dress, turned around to look at them. Her brown hair had an awfully familiar shade and when she met his eyes he seemed to be staring into a pair of eyes he had found himself lost in so many times.
It couldn't be, it was just a funny coincidence, right?
A/N: Nana, I'm leaving it here! I love cliffies. Don't you just love them? Please review!