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: NOW they are back together. :P

MaxCobra: Nope, the babies will be behaving. Jason might come back.

Mz. Daydream: The bubbly happiness I promised:

Arwennicole: Yeah! Reload it! It's FUN! Oh, they'll work things out alright. Better than you might expect.

Juzblue: Kill me? KILL ME? WHY DON'T YOU! pouts Glad you liked the chapters.

Serenitylovegod: You don't seem to be the only one to mean that. Oh well, read and enjoy.

XRachX: Glad you liked it. Hope you'll like this one too. Don't worry too much. We all have bad moods sometimes. Sweet 16, eh? I might just make a whole standalone out of that… Jenny's still there, but she's taking an Astro Blaster with her just in case. :P

Jessica01: Yeah, now it's time to make up…

The-power-of-love: Always.

JDPhoenix: Here's more. Don't worry.

Gear's Girl: Glad you like.

DizneeDol: Stupid computer. KILL IT! No, wait, don't. You'll lose internet if you do. Glad you liked the chapter. Stupid homework. Good luck with it.

Not Always The End

Chapter 22

"Why didn't you tell anyone else?" Andros asked as her voice trailed off. "I know it's not because you wanted me to be the first to know. That's just an excuse everyone's buying."

Ashley looked down at the ground, fiddling with her hands.

"I don't know..." Ashley sighed. "I-I guess I was ashamed."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of!" Andros protested. "Look at what you've accomplished. You've got a wonderful daughter who's very happy with her life, and you've not only survived, you've thrived."

Ashley still didn't look up and he could see a tear run down her cheek.

"It's not that. It's the whole thing happening in the first place. I was a ranger! I fought monsters at a daily basis and yet I couldn't handle a mere human. He was able to use me in ways most girls can't even imagine and he even left me with a child I didn't want!" Ashley's voice had risen during her speech; she took a deep breath and continued more quietly.

"I felt so useless and weak. I didn't know what to do. All I wanted was to be with you, in your arms while you would tell me everything would be okay, but I couldn't bring myself to tell you over the comm. You'd leave KO-35 just for me, while you were needed there and then I found out about Jenny. I just couldn't bring myself to force her on you. It wouldn't have been fair. I couldn't ask you to raise the child of a man that took something from me that wasn't his… but yours."

By now she was crying openly and Andros carefully slid closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. When she didn't flinch away, he wrapped her into a hug and let her cry against him.

"It's okay, Ash. It's going to be all right. They got the whole gang and they'll be locked up for a long time. You don't have to worry about them anymore. You can be yourself again and you've got all of us the help you out whenever you need it. That's why we're friends." Andros told her, rubbing small circles on her back.

"I don't want that. I don't want to be friends!" Ashley sobbed. "I can't be friends with you, Andros!"

Hurt by her words Andros started to pull back, but Ashley clung to him.

"We could never be just friends anymore." Ashley whispered. "We've gone too far for that."

Suddenly understanding what she meant, Andros hugged her more tightly. He didn't want to be just friends either, but he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable knowing their time apart only made his love and longing for her grow.

"I'm scared, Andros." Ashley admitted so quietly, Andros doubted she had really said it. "I'm scared of what I'm still feeling for you. I've been hurt so badly and still I long for your love."

Andros pulled back slightly and caught her chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him. At first Ashley didn't want to meet his eyes, but when she finally did look, he could see the conflict of emotions in her eyes, but one emotion came through the clearest; fear, fear of losing him after her admission. And he felt the urge to reassure her in the only way he could think of right now.

Carefully he leaned forward, slow enough to make her realise what he would do and giving her enough time to pull back, but she didn't and moments later his lips met hers in a feather light kiss. He was the first to pull back and watched Ashley intently. She looked deep in his eyes, trying to figure out if the kiss had meant what she think it meant and finding nothing but proof of her suspicions.

She had missed his tender kisses so much. They just seemed to wash all her fears and worries away and drown her in everlasting joy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly pulled him back, their lips meeting once again. Their kisses grew steadily more heated, the spark between them relighting the fire that had been extinguished by some blue lines.

Andros tried to keep his cool, letting Ashley set the pace, but she was making it awfully hard for him. Her hands were the first to slip under his clothes, her fingers lightly cherishing his brushed back. He felt his shirt rising higher and higher and he tore his lips from Ashley's with a great deal of reluctance and self-control, more than he wished it would take.

"Ash…" He gasped, trying to catch his breath, but needing to ask. "Are you sure about this?"

Ashley bit her lip, she was perfectly well aware where her actions were talking her and how close to the point of no return they were coming. Did she really want this? YES! There was no question about that, but did she dare? Did she have the courage to put her heart on the line and face her greatest fear?

One look in his eyes was enough and she nodded.

"Yes." She whispered breathlessly. "I'm sure. You're the one thing I'm completely sure off right now." Ashley told him.

With that all rational thoughts disappeared as his lips once again met hers.

Early the next morning

The annoying ringing of a cell-phone pulled him out of the blissful numbness of sleep. The first thing registering in his foggy mind was that he was not alone. His arms were gently, but securely wrapped around a bare feminine waist. The woman was curled up against his chest and groaned as the cell-phone started waking her up too. She nuzzled her face closer to his chest as if to drown out the noise, make it go away. Suddenly she stiffened and the night before hit him hard.

A sly smile started playing on his lips and he started rubbing circles on her back.

"It's just me." He whispered in her ear.

His voice itself seemed to calm her down and she pulled back, placing a quick kiss on his lips before letting her hand wander to her nightstand in search of the ever so persisting cell-phone. When she finally found it, she quickly hit the button, shutting it up and pressing it to her ear.

"Yeah?" She yawned, lying back down against him.

"Hey Ash." Cassie's voice replied, no more awake than she was. "Is Andros still with you?"

"Yeah." She confirmed, sinking deeper into his embrace and the fog of sleep.

"Could you wake him and tell him to get to Reefside hospital right away? His nephew or niece decided now is just a dandy time to join us!" She finished sarcastically with an undertone of bubbling happiness.

That shook Ashley wide-awake and she shot into a sitting position.

"Yeah, sure, we'll be right there." She told Cassie, cutting the connection and shooting out of bed. "We've got to go. Karone's gone into labour!"

Andros was out of bed in a flash, fishing around for his discarded clothes. When he picked up his pants, something fell out shining in the little light that coming into the room from outside. Even without light he would have recognized it; Ashley old engagement ring. Staring at it for a moment, he made the decision. Knowing he might never get up the courage again. Picking it up, he looked at Ashley who had her back turned to him and was trying desperately to scram into her pants.

"Ash?" He asked, catching her attention.

Ashley turned around and looked at him, forgetting about getting her pants on for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he dropped to one knee again.

"Marry me?" He asked innocently.

He could see the tears shooting into Ashley's eyes as she stared at him.

"Are you sure?" She choked out, her mouth open in surprise.

"Always and forever." He told her.

The moment Ashley's head nodded up and down ever so slightly, his heart filled with joy. He got back up and slipped the ring back around Ashley's finger. Giving her a quick passionate kiss, they returned their attention to dressing. Once they were sure they looked presentable enough, they scrambled out of the house into TJ's borrowed sports car and were on the way to Reefside hospital.

Andros quickly glanced over to Ashley and smiled when she saw her staring at her ring.

"It's the same, isn't it?" She muttered.

"I always had it in my pocket. Never knew why, but I'm happy I did." Andros replied.

Ashley looked up at him and smiled, the former sparkle having returned to her eyes.

"So am I." She replied. "So am I."

A/N: Hope you liked it. REVIEW!