Disclaimer: Power Rangers is not my creation. The story is my creation.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: I did update soon! And of course you gotta love Andros. Everyone does! Except Andros himself. :P

Red Ranger Chick: No, Terry isn't going to do anything drastic at the trial. I'm skipping over most of the trial, partly to keep the story from stalling for a half dozen chapters, and partly just because the scenes I did begin to write seemed too unoriginal and boring to bother using.

Chapter 23

Andros opened his eyes slowly, slightly startled to find Ashley wrapped up securely in his arms until the night before came back to him, the memory slamming into him hard. Sighing softly, he placed a kiss on her forehead before climbing over her carefully, not wanting to deprive her of a few more minutes of sleep.

"Don't wake her, Deca," he pleaded as he headed into her bathroom. "Just let her sleep."

"As you wish," came the equally soft reply.

"Thank you," he said, unable to keep back a smile as he cast one more long look at Ashley's now peaceful face. The expression would be long gone the instant he woke her up, he had no doubts of that, and he groaned aloud at the thought of being the one to pull her out of her dreams and into reality; a reality that would be little more than a nightmare for the next few weeks, maybe even months.

I asked her to marry me, he remembered suddenly, stopping cold as he stepped into the shower, not noticing that the water spray hit him full in the face. I asked her to marry me... What's wrong with me?

Ashley didn't need him proposing to her right now. He had known that the night before with just as much clarity as he knew it now, yet he'd asked her anyway.

I love her, he defended himself. I just wanted her to know that I'd never leave her...

No, you didn't, another part of him raged. You wanted to ask her while she wasn't thinking clearly because you know she'll say no when she is.

She wouldn't say no...

Yes, she would! And do you know why?

Andros sighed as his mind proceeded to recite a long list of faults, repeating itself several dozen times. It was true, Ashley could have done so much better than him... but she hadn't. She'd chosen him, and briefly, he wondered if she had done so deliberately, because she felt she wasn't worthy of anyone better.

That's why, his mind declared triumphantly.

No, it's not, something else cried out. The sparkle in Ashley's eyes as she told him that she loved him was just too real for her not to have meant the words.

Just because she loves you doesn't mean she could never love anyone else... And you won't give her the chance to...

"Stop it," Andros muttered aloud, yanking hard on the faucet handle, watching as the water spray dwindled down to nothing. In the sudden silence, he could hear his thoughts too clearly for his own good and he sighed heavily, toweling himself off and dressing as quickly as he could, his internal battle still raging as he stepped back into Ashley's room. Sitting down beside her sleeping form, Andros leaned over her, shaking her shoulder gently.

"Ash," he whispered. "Come on, Ash, wake up."

She moaned softly in reply, and he sighed, shaking her a little more firmly. Her brown eyes slowly fluttered open, widening when they focused on him. A small smile appeared on her face and Andros could feel his heart aching. He hadn't seen that expression often enough in recent days, and he didn't want to be the one to make it vanish again.

As it turned out, he didn't have to. His own grave expression must have triggered something in her memory, for a few seconds later, her eyes had clouded over and her pretty face was marked by a distant, blank look.

"I'm going to take a shower now," she said stiffly, her fingers clenching around the hem of the sheet. He cautiously rested his fingers over hers, squeezing her fingers gently when she didn't flinch away. "Will you be in the glider bay?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'll wait for you there."

Ashley nodded numbly and climbed out of bed as he stood up to let her do so. "Andros?"

He turned to gaze at her intently. She forced a tiny smile and said quietlly, "Thank you."

The fingers of his right hand brushed against her cheek for the briefest second before he turned and left her in the privacy of her room. It was early, no later than six thirty, and the corridors of the Megaship were wide and empty, completely devoid of the life he'd grown accustomed to finding there. The glider bay was equally dark and silent when he entered, and he didn't bother to turn on a light. Sinking down into a seat, he stared glumly at the shadows that played upon the floor, his mind picking up the argument where it had last left off.

I love her.

No, you don't. She's beautiful and she's vulnerable. You don't love her, you just want her.

He'd said the words before, even to Ashley herself, but he hadn't meant them the way he had now. During his many conversations with Ashley, he had been trying to reassure her that he still wanted to be with her, but now...

I want her, he admitted to himself. But I love her.

You're not that good of a person, his mind sneered at him. No matter what Ashley told you.

Go away!

His mind cried out loudly enough for him to recieve groggy complaints from Zhane and Karone, and he sighed, letting his face fall forward to rest in his hands. Ashley needed him now, and he wasn't doing either of them any good by doubting himself.

He only wished that the doubts weren't so real.

"Andros?"

"I'm in here," he said, realizing then that the glider bay was still dark. "Deca, turn up the lights, please."

The room was cheerfully lit only a second later, more than enough for Andros to discern the unnatural paleness of Ashley's face. She was trembling as she made her way over to him, her shaking not stopping as she took a seat.

All his earlier thoughts completely forgotten, Andros moved to her side, clasping her hands in his. Everything inside of him was aching just to comfort her, to hold her and promise her that everything was going to be all right, to convince her that she was safe with him and no one would ever lay an unwanted hand on her ever again.

"Ash, I'm sorry for what I said last night." He spoke softly in her ear, keeping his tone even by some unknown force of will. "The last thing you need right now is me asking you to marry me. I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Ashley told him after a moment. "You're right, I can't deal with that now... but now I can believe that you'll still be here at the end of this."

"I'll always be here," he promised her quietly, relieved that he hadn't hurt her, and although his conscience still jabbed at him every now and then, his self-hatred had mostly dissapated. He stepped back before he had the chance to say anything else that he shouldn't. "Are you going to eat?"

Ashley hesitated. "I'm not sure that I can."

"Try," he pleaded. "Please?"

"I'm not hungry," she informed him. "I feel sick."

Andros didn't argue. "Is Tawny still asleep?"

"Yeah." Ashley nodded, smiling briefly. "I didn't have it in me to wake her... I'll see her tonight, I guess."

Any reply Andros might have made was cut off by the somewhat irritating chirp of Ashley's cell phone. Anxiety was written all over her face as she dug the device out of her pocket, her nerves calming only a little as she saw who the call was from.

"Hi, Jeff."

"Ash."

"What happened?" she demanded, her voice wavering. Andros was at her side in an instant, but even his comforting presence wasn't enough to dim the alarm that had welled up within her at her brother's tone.

"I need to warn you about something," Jeff told her quietly. "You know that the media isn't allowed to use your name. They can only use Terry's name, because of the kind of case this is, but - "

"What happened?" she nearly screamed at him, her fingers white from the grip she had on her phone. "Jeff, just tell me!"

"Mom," he told her. "She went to a few reporters and told them just enough for them to put it all together."

"No," she whispered. "She didn't. She wouldn't."

"I'm sorry," Jeff said sadly. "But she did, and there's going to be three or four reporters wanting to talk to you."

"I don't have to, do I?"

"No," Jeff assured her. "You don't. I just wanted you to know that they're down here waiting for you."

She hung up without another word, blinking furiously as tears burned against the back of her eyelids. Andros laid a hand on her shoulder, intending to comfort her, but she recoiled.

"Don't touch me," she whispered.

He nodded without a word, understanding that her inability to be touched had little to do with him and much more to do with her current state of mind. Retreating to the other side of the table, he watched her with concern evident in his eyes.

"Will you be all right?"

"Andros, don't make me do this," she begged quietly. "I can't."

"I'm not making you do anything," he reminded her, frowning. "Now... what's going on?"

"She told people!" Ashley cried, too exhausted to cry. "I can't do this, Andros, not now. I don't want people to know..."

"Who told people?" he asked gently.

I'll kill them...

"My mother," she whispered, the word bitter in her mouth. "Why does she hate me?"

Andros sighed. "Because she knows, and she can't accept it."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No," he said. "But you asked."

"If I don't go, does he win?" she asked abruptly.

"I don't know how your laws work," Andros said after a pause. "But since you are the only one with first hand evidence against him, I think he does."

"I have to go, then," she whispered, her face crumpling. "I can't let him win."

"I'm so sorry, Ash," he told her quietly, restraining himself from just jumping up to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. "But you can do this."

"No, I can't," she cried. "Not if people know..."

Andros sighed. "Would it do any good to say that you shouldn't be ashamed?"

Ashley slowly shook her head. "No," she whispered. "Because I am, and I always will be."

"I know you are," he said gently. "But if you run now, will you be able to live with yourself tomorrow?"

"No," she admitted. "Andros?"

He waited patiently for her to speak, his soft hazel eyes never leaving her face.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, Ash," he replied just as softly. "I won't leave you, I promise."

"Ash? Andros?"

"Hi, Zhane," she mumbled as the blond boy appeared in the glider bay, Karone at his side. She hesitated. If the rest of the world knew...

"Um," she began timidly. "Would you guys... come with me?"

"Of course we will," Karone said instantly.

"Are you sure you want us to?" Zhane asked. "Last night you said - "

"I'm sure," Ashley said firmly. "I know what I said last night, and I meant it then, but now... I think I need you guys."

"Then we'll be there," Zhane said firmly. "As long as you need us."