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: Nope, Ashley isn't pregnant just yet. Don't drive yourself crazy over the word 'and', it's NOT worth it. :P
Juzblue: Glad you liked.
MaxCobra: smiles brightly Wow, thankies! It's in the middle of the night at the moment the story starts. Read and find out how Jenny reacts.
Arwennicole: Happy is not quite the word I would use, but yeah, that's basically how she'll react.
Mz. Daydream: So you agree, it was bubbly! I don't think Andros expected to ask her again so soon again either, but she did agree, so he can be happy. And that baby thing; Nope, wrong couple…
Serenitylovegod: I'm sad to say the weekend will hold the end of the story, but not to worry, it's a happy one. Dreading to see your parents? Are they that bad? Mine family has the ability to tick me off the moment I or one of them gets out of bed. They just can't seem to leave me alone. I can't wait to move out:P
JDPhoenix: Of course there's more! Two more whole chapters after this one. I've just written that epilogue and I'll tell Phantom to hurry up and put up a new happy A/A story.
XRachX: Yeah, I love the proposal too, I don't think Andros realised he was asking while wearing as much as the day he was born, but hey, it worked. :P I'll be putting up a new story as soon as I can after this one is finished, which, sadly, it almost is. Maybe I could steal Jenny's blaster and use it to threaten myself to make the story longer. Or I could just go get the sequel to the story in order so I can put it up after that new story.
Gear's Girl: Sweet ain't it:P
C.C.C.: Yeah, they're together again forever this time. No need to wait any longer for Jenny's reaction.
Jessica01: NO! The other rangers are watching her over at Tommy's house. And she's not almost 4 year old, but she's 4 and a half years old by now.
Jenny: Hate school! Hate internet! Love you:P Poor pet, I remember when my hamster died! I was distraught! I loved the little thing so much. Now I wouldn't know what to do if one of the dogs of my friend dies, I see them as partly mine and they are SO sweet. One bites everyone she doesn't know, so I can get in at my friend's, but my family can't:P That's so much fun!
Mel: I already got my own homework to do!
Not Always The End
Chapter 23
When Andros and Ashley entered the waiting room, Jenny immediately came running over.
"Mommy, mommy!" She exclaimed happily. "Auntie Karone is having a baby!"
"I know sweetheart." Ashley smiled, picking her up. "Have you been a good girl?"
Jenny nodded violently, as Ashley positioned her so she was sitting on her hip. Zey, who had been sitting on Kim's lap, started squirming upon spotting the couple enter the room. The moment his little feet touched the ground he ran over to Andros.
"So, Ash, is the house back in order?" Cassie asked, as Ashley sat down next to her.
"Yeah." Ashley replied. "Andros's been a great help."
Andros shot her an innocent smile as he sat down on an empty chair at the opposite wall with Zey on his lap. The boy nuzzled close to him and his eyes started drooping.
Three hours passed and everyone was slowly started to fall back asleep when a beaming Zhane finally entered the waiting room. Andros was the first to spot him and got up. That caught the others' attention and they stared at Zhane expectantly. Zhane took Zey from Andros before speaking.
"It's a girl." He told them, his smile a beacon of delight. "Her name's Zerinde."
"So are we going to see my niece or are you going to keep us here?" Andros joked.
"Fine, come on than." Zhane sighed dramatically, leading them to the room Karone and Zerinde were.
When Zhane opened the door to the room, Andros quickly slipped past him.
"Hey!" Zhane protested as the others slipped past him too, but he was ignored.
Ashley stepped into the room after Zhane, being the only one not to enter before him. Andros was already by Karone's side, admiring little Zerinde and the others were moving to join him. She couldn't help but feel she was intruding as she set Jenny down on the ground.
Her daughter immediately ran over to see the small baby. Zhane closed the door behind her and noticed her hesitance. He quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her to the bed.
"You've got all right to be here, Ash." He assured her gently. "Maybe even more than anyone else."
A wave of relief rushed through her and she smiled at Zhane gratefully. Once they reached the bed, Zhane set Zey down on it and reached out, taking Zerinde from Karone, offering the baby girl to Ashley.
"Do the honours." He told her and carefully placed his daughter in Ashley's awaiting arms.
It had been four and a half years ago since she had held such a brand new baby girl. The wonder of such a tiny being, so completely dependant on people's care amazed her once again.
"She's beautiful." Ashley whispered, carefully settling the baby on one arm and using her now free hand to lightly cherish the little girl's cheek.
Zerinde opened her eyes a little, revealing the mixture of hazel and blue of her eyes.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Andros commented lightly. "And to think Zhane is her father makes it even more so..."
Everyone laughed as Andros ducked, avoiding a hit over the head from Zhane. When Ashley handed Zerinde to Cassie, the light in the room reflected on her ring.
"Ash?" Karone asked, curiously. "What's that?"
A bright red blush spread on Ashley's face and neck. For a moment she had forgotten her friends didn't know. When Ashley didn't reply, Karone caught her hand and studied the ring.
"Why does this ring look familiar?" Karone teased lightly.
Ashley shifted uncomfortably and Karone grinned.
"How?" She asked, knowing the other rangers were still clueless.
"We talked things over and decided to make up and give it another shot, any other bump in the road we'll face together." Ashley replied, trying very hard not to show what 'talking and making up' meant.
"Congrats." Karone smiled, pulling her into a hug. "I hoped I'd have my sister back."
The meaning behind the conversation drew on the others and soon Andros and Ashley were congratulated with their renewed engagement.
"Mommy?" Jenny asked, tugging on Ashley's pants. "What does en-en-engased mean?"
Ashley smiled and crouched down to Jenny's eye level.
"It means Andros is going to be your daddy." She declared softly.
Jenny's face lit up and her eyes grew wide, before she let out a happy shriek and launched at Andros, wrapping her arms around his legs. Andros had been holding Zerinde at that moment and upon feeling the little girl throwing herself at him, he quickly handed the girl back to her mother and pried Jenny from his legs, picking her up.
Jenny wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.
"You did one thing wrong, Dros." Zhane told him. "You don't make up, you make out."
"Zhane... Not everyone has to fight their wives before they become a father." Andros told him with a straight face.
Another round of laughs filled the room and Jenny pulled back from her hug, looking at Andros curiously.
"Daddy, what does 'make-out' mean?" Jenny asked him.
Andros felt his heart swell up at Jenny's words and he smiled at her.
"I'll tell you when you're older, alright Angel?"
Jenny nodded, wrapping her arms back around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder, slowly nodding off to sleep.
Ashley watched her love and her daughter with a smile on her face when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked around and saw Cassie smile at her.
"He's a wonderful daddy, don't you think?" Her friend said, gesturing to the scene.
"Yeah, he sure is and Jenny loves him. I haven't told him yet, but back in that building Jenny asked me if Andros could be her daddy once we got out."
"Well, she got her wish." Cassie grinned, looking at Ashley's engagement ring.
"I think we all did." Ashley sighed, toying with her ring.
"Hey, you deserve him, Ash." Cassie assured her. "I know he'll make you happy and you deserve that. You've proven you don't really need anyone to take care of yourself, but it's always nice to have someone to fall back on, someone to love you unconditionally. You don't always have to be strong you know."
Ashley looked up at her surprised and Cassie shrugged.
"I realised that when I gave up on Phantom. He never returned and I realised he wasn't worth waiting for. There were more fish in the sea. Things I used to face alone, I suddenly had TJ beside me to help me through. That's when I realised no matter how strong you are alone, you're always stronger when someone who loves you helps you out."
"TJ!" Ashley complained. "You brainwashed, Cassie!"
TJ laughed, bouncing his sleeping daughter a little higher on his arms.
"It was that or kill her." TJ replied innocently. "I liked this option better."
Ashley laughed and looked around the room, observing the couples in it. Tommy had his arm wrapped around Kim's shoulders, talking quietly to her in a corner. Like Andros and her, they had just gotten back together, but had a lot to clear out. Next, TJ and Cassie; Cassie had walked over to TJ, her arms wrapped around his waist, her head leaning against his shoulder as the time of night was catching up with her, their support encasing each other in love. And then there were Zhane and Karone. Zhane had sat down behind Karone, so she was now leaning against him, Zerinde wrapped in her arms and Zey nuzzled against her side, both children fast asleep… And finally, her and Andros.
Suddenly she realised all other couples had faced trails and errors and yet they were here today because love had made them strong. When she caught Andros's eyes and saw the loving expression on his face, she knew they'd make it through, no matter what. If others could be strong enough to see beyond their troubled past, so could they.
From now on she'd let the past rest and focus on the future. Her future with Andros.
A/N: Hope you liked it. NO, this is NOT the end. Please review.