Disclaimer: If I haven't said that it's mine, it belongs to Saban or Disney or whoever.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Don't worry, you and Jenny and Aidan and Seren can't die.

Mz. Daydream: No, they only want the baby and Aidan dead... but the reason for that is actually even more depressing than them wanting all of them dead. :P

Juzblue: I scared you? You actually think I'd kill Andros and Ashley's children? Oops, bad question. Don't worry, they're fine. :P

C.C.C: No, Andros is not going to die. No one is, but the next few chapters aren't going to be fun... I've got a story that I'll put up after this one, or when this one is almost over.

DizneeDol: Thanks, here's more. It wasn't my birthday, though. Mine's in August. :P

Chapter 12

The instant Andros helped Ashley onto one of the patient beds on the Megaship, she started struggling to get down, her eyes fixed on her two motionless daughters.

"Stop moving, Ashley," Andros said firmly, pushing her down, careful not to touch her badly bruised forearms. Ashley protested weakly and then fell back, her eyes starting to close. "Come on, Ash, stay awake."

"Dad," Aidan said, tugging on his arm. "Dad!"

"What?" Andros snapped, instantly regretting it the moment he saw Aidan's tear-streaked face. He bent down to wrap his son in his arms. "Aidan, I'm sorry..."

"Are they going to die?"

"No," Andros said, sounding much more confident than he felt. "Can you do something for me?"

"What?" Aidan asked, dragging his pajama sleeve across his eyes.

"Take care of your mom, all right?" Andros said. "I'm going to go take care of your sisters."

"All right," Aidan whispered. He stepped over to Ashley's side, gingerly touching her hand. "Mom?"

"I'm all right," Ashley said weakly, her eyes still closed. "Just tired..."

"Mom, stay awake," Aidan pleaded. "Dad said to stay awake."

"I'm trying," Ashley whispered. Her eyelids were too heavy to open and her head was pounding. "Don't worry, sweetie, I'm all right."

"You are not all right," another voice said, and Ashley groaned, knowing that he wouldn't be kind enough to let her drift off to sleep. "Open your eyes, Ashley."

"Teej?" Ashley mumbled, struggling to open her eyes. "How'd you get here?"

"We're all staying on the Megaship," TJ reminded her.

"Oh," said Ashley, remembering slightly.

"You need to sit up, Ash," TJ said. "I'm going to help you... do your shoulders hurt?"

"Everything hurts," Ashley muttered, wincing as TJ slipped an arm under her shoulders and pulled her up. Her eyes finally opened and settled on the bulge in her stomach. "The baby," she whispered.

"Hold still," TJ ordered, a scanner now in his hand. "Don't worry, Ashley, I'm sure everything's fine. Talk. Stay awake."

"Where's Zhane and Karone?" Ashley asked. "Did they get them too?"

"Zhane and Karone are fine," TJ said, running a scanner over her body. "They're over there, helping take care of the others. You weren't the only one who got it this bad... Everything seems fine with the baby, Ash."

"Andros," Ashley whispered suddenly, her eyes widening in horror. "He's bleeding."

TJ turned around and winced at the sight. The rangers gathered around Jenny and Marieke were standing in a circle, meaning that no one besides Ashley and TJ had spotted Andros's back. The shirt he'd been sleeping in had been torn open, revealing a deep gash that Andros was currently ignoring.

"Andros, get over here!" TJ ordered. "Now."

"I'm fine," Andros insisted, not turning around. "How's Ashley?"

"Not bleeding to death," TJ said. "Get over here."

Andros sighed and sat down next to Ashley, holding her steady as she started to sway, but not letting her lean against him and doze off. Aura handed him a bag of ice and bandages, motioning for him to wrap Ashley's ankle as they tended to his back. Aura and TJ pulled off his shirt, TJ muttering something that once would have infuriated him. His backside was doused with water, and then another liquid that caused him to stifle a cry of pain as it caused the would to sting furiously.

"It is not as deep as it looks," Aura informed him.

"Meaning you won't need stitches," TJ told him.

Andros kept quiet and wrapped Ashley's ankle as Aura pressed a bandage against his back. He held the bag of ice against her foot, watching Jenny and Marieke's still forms with a heavy heart. No matter how many times he was assured that they were simply unconscious, he wasn't going to breathe any easier until they had woken up.

"I think she's moving a little," Tempest called, gesturing at Jenny. Not waiting for any more, Andros ran across the room, taking his daughter's hand as she stirred slightly.

"Please wake up," he whispered. "Jenny, wake up."

"Daddy?"

"Jenny," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her and holding her small body as close to him as he dared. "I love you so much."

"Daddy, my head hurts," Jenny mumbled.

"We know it does," Ashley said, appearing at Jenny's other side, ignoring the look Andros gave her. A moment later, he sighed, knowing that Ashley was out of any immediate danger and that there was no way that he could keep her away from their daughters.

Ashley's gaze kept flickering to Marieke, willing her daughter to move, and eventually, she did, her brown eyes dazed and confused as she opened them. "Mommy?" she asked. "Daddy?"

"We're right here," Ashley assured her, blinking back tears. "Don't worry, everything's going to be okay."

Andros's eyes drifted away for a moment, and he saw TJ and Cassie deep in conversation, somehow knowing what they were saying. He sighed softly; he couldn't blame them.

"TJ, can I talk to you?" he said quietly, stepping over to them. TJ and Cassie exchanged a brief glance, and TJ nodded.

"Look, Andros..."

"It's all right," Andros said heavily. "The last thing I ever wanted to do was endanger my family, but I did. You want to leave, and you're probably right to do so. You and Cassie, and Carlos and Aura, have done more than should have been asked of you. This isn't your home, and you're free to leave whenever you want."

"If it wasn't for TJ Junior and Chandra, you'd know we'd stay," TJ said, and Andros nodded. "I just don't want to see my daughter lying there looking like she's dead."

"I know," Andros said. "I guess you'll be leaving in the morning?"

"We'l hang around for a few more days," TJ said. "But I want to be out of here before something like this happens again... and you know it will."