Disclaimer: Not mine, probably never will be...

Chylea3784: Jeff will definitely be at the wedding. Ashley needs someone to walk her down the aisle.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: I'm not allowed to be evil? Have you seen the rest of this story:P Here's more, don't worry, they'll get there...

C.C.C: Ashley is a lot happier, but she's still got a lot of emotional stuff to deal with. You'll see everything later.

Jenny: Yay! I'm not perverted:P

Chapter 28

"We have arrived at KO-35."

Deca's announcement drew Ashley out of a deep sleep. She glared sleepily at the red eye mounted the opposite corner of the room before letting her eyes slide shut once again, thinking that she could do with another hour or so of rest. Then her eyes landed on Andros asleep beside her and she came wide awake at once.

Last night... she remembered slowly. We almost...

Andros stirred beside her, inching closer to her although he appeared to still be fast asleep. The expression on his face was uncharacteristically peaceful, even a hint of a smile on his face. Andros was never so relaxed.

Except when he's looking at you, she thought unbidden and sighed, shaking her head to banish the thought. She truly hated to wake him when he looked like that, but she knew that if she didn't do it now, Zhane would appear in a few minutes to do so himself in a much more unpleasant way.

"Andros," she whispered, leaning over him to shake his shoulder several times and getting no response. She sighed and smoothed his hair back from his eyes, feeling him twitch as she did so. Encouraged, she repeated his name a little more firmly and was rewarded by his eyes squinting open.

"Ash?" he mumbled. "You should be asleep..."

"Deca disagrees," she said wryly. "Come on, wake up, we're orbiting KO-35."

"That's nice," he muttered, his eyes drooping shut. "Wake me up when we get there."

Ashley laughed softly and shook her head before laying back down beside him and pressing her mouth against his. Andros responded to the kiss instantly, although his eyes still remained closed. He shifted and Ashley found his arms wrapped firmly around her, nearly crushing her as the innocent kiss escalated into something more heated.

The night before played itself out in Ashley's mind and she pulled back with some reluctance. While she regretted nothing, she wasn't eager for the scenario to repeat itself either.

Andros finally opened his eyes. He regarded her seriously for a moment before pushing himself into a sitting position and offering her a nervous smile.

"Last night," he said slowly, his sleepy eyes clearing as memory obviously returned to him.

"Yeah..." Ashley reddened and let her voice dwindle into nothingness as Andros shifted uncomfortably. "Last night..."

"Ash... you don't, um, you don't regret it, do you?"

"No," she told him firmly. She sighed. "If you want the truth, I enjoyed it. A lot, but... like we said last night, we're not ready for this."

"I know." Andros sighed. "I guess I should sleep in my own bed for awhile, huh?"

"Yeah," Ashley said with some reluctance. She knew that they weren't ready to move any further than they had, but falling asleep in Andros's arms had become so natural to her that she didn't want to have to live without it ever again.

Andros reached out to her slowly, ready to pull back if she resisted. When she didn't, he drew her into his arms, cradling her against his chest as she made a small noise of contentment. A moment later, something occured to her and she shifted reluctantly, tilting her head back to stare up at his face.

"We've been in orbit around KO-35 for the last fifteen minutes, by the way."

Andros didn't respond, but the sudden flash of emotion in his hazel eyes told Ashley everything she needed to know. She sighed quietly and reached up to touch his cheek, making him look at her for once.

"You didn't abandon them," she insisted, knowing that she was wasting her breath. "You never failed them. They love you, Andros. You saved them all."

He shot her an empty smile. "You really believe that."

"Yeah," she said vehemently. "I do. And you should, too."

He nodded slowly, casting his eyes downward as her gaze suddenly became knowing.

"So this is why you wanted to come back," she said softly. "You want to make up for everything you think you've done wrong."

"You're half right," he admitted, not elaborating any further than that.

"And the other half is..." she prodded gently.

"I could have spent my entire life on Earth just to be with you," he told her finally. "But it would have only been my home because of you."

"This is your home," she said simply, nodding with understanding. "It's where you belong."

He shook his head, his smile genuine now. "I belong with you," he told her seriously. "You and Tawny. I'd be happy anywhere with the two of you."

"Just happier here," she finished, and he nodded, smiling.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"Love you too," she whispered back.

"It is seven o'clock," Deca interrupted. "Do you wish for me to hail KO-35 and begin docking procedures?"

"Not just yet," Andros said. He turned to Ashley. "You'd better eat now, and shower too. We're likely to be attacked as soon as we step off of the ship."

"I will," she said, her smile fading some as she asked hesitantly, "Andros? Will they... will they accept me here?"

"Why wouldn't they?" he countered. "Because you're from Earth?"

Ashley nodded, deliberating for a few seconds before adding, "And because of Tawny..."

"What about Tawny?" Andros looked at her in surprise but answered his own question a moment later. "Because you're so young?"

Ashley nodded again.

"You don't have to worry about that," Andros assured her, explaining, "You're probably younger than most of the mothers now, but it's fairly common here for children to be born to parents still in their teens."

Ashley relaxed visibly, although she looked faintly surprised. "Everyone here gets married young?"

"Most do," he confirmed and she couldn't help asking, "Why?"

"I think it was originally encouraged to populate the colony faster," Andros admitted with a wry grin. "But... most of us are drawn to only one person in the course of our entire lifetimes."

"So you all get one true love?"

Andros nodded. "Something like that."

"What about you?" she asked suddenly. "Was there ever - "

"No," he broke in softly. "There's never been anyone, only you."

"Wow," she breathed, something suddenly clicking. "Is that why it hurt you so much, when I wouldn't let you near me?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "It felt like... like I was torn in half, I guess."

"I felt that way too," Ashley told him suddenly. "I really was afraid, but I just wanted to run to you anyway..."

"I guess I should have told you, then?"

"Yeah," she agreed, suddenly grinning. "But if you'd asked me to marry you while we were watching Haley's Comet, I would have thought you were crazy. Incredibly sweet, but crazy."

Andros looked away too quickly and her eyes widened. "You weren't going to!"

"No," he said, staring down at his hands. "I just knew I wanted to."

"I love you, Andros," Ashley murmured, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "So much."

"Zhane and Karone are now awake," Deca broke in. "They wish for me to hail KO-35 and being docking procedures."

"Go ahead, Deca," Andros said, sighing inwardly at the thought of having to move Ashley out of his arms. "I guess we should get up."

"Probably," she agreed. She paused. "Zhane said we'd be living in your parents house?"

"Yeah," Andros confirmed, his tone now tinged with sadness. "Everything that was theirs is mine now."

He paused, hesitating. "Ashley... would you mind if I got rid of it all?"

"It's your stuff," Ashley assured him with a shake of her head. "Bad taste?"

"No." Andros shook his head slowly. "Bad memories."

Ashley sighed quietly. She still had only a vague idea of what his family life had been on KO-35, but she did know that it had been a hell on earth for him. She reached out to clasp his hand, squeezing his fingers as he tried to force a shaky smile.

"You don't want to live in that house, do you?"

"No, I do," Andros said. He must have noticed her surprise, for he added, "You were able to face your past, Ash. This is the only way that I can face mine."

"I wasn't," she mumbled. "I ran away. Three galaxies away."

"You didn't," Andros insisted, somehow not surprised that she still thought so little of herself. "You went back and stood up to him, Ash."

"I ran away," she repeated. "I might have stood up to him, but in the end, I ran away from him. He won't be in prison forever."

"No," he agreed, his eyes darkening. "But you don't have to worry about him trying to come after you for a long time."

"But he will," she whispered. "He's not that old, Andros, only forty one. If he behaves right, he'll only be fifty six when he gets out. I ran away from him."

"Is that the only reason you're here?" Andros asked suddenly, hurt. "To run?"

"No!" Ashley exclaimed. "Andros, I love you, and I can't live without you anymore."

"It just doesn't hurt that I live three galaxies away from Earth?"

"Yeah," she muttered. "Look, Andros... I'm trying to let go, I really am, it's just... hard, sometimes, for me to believe that... that I'm worth something, I guess, because I can't see it... and I guess I need you to tell me something a hundred times before I even start to believe it."

Andros nodded, smiling gently at her. "I know what you mean, Ash," he said quietly, staring down at his hands. "All the good that you swear you see in me, I can't see it myself, not without you to show it to me."

"Then we're even," Ashley said, looking relieved. He glanced at her strangely and she explained, "I just don't want you to do more for me than I do for you. It's not fair to you, especially after you spent all that time with me and Tawny..."

"Ash, I love you," Andros said quietly. "You know I don't see it that way... We're supposed to make each other stronger."

"I think we do," she said finally, offering a hesitant smile.

"I know we do," Andros said firmly. "Or at least, you make me stronger... Ash, just please, try to see yourself for who you really are. I promise you you're not a bad person."

Ashley nodded, her smile becoming a true one, reaching out to clasp his hand. "Neither are you, Andros," she told him softly. "Thanks."

"What for?" Andros couldn't help asking.

Ashley shrugged, not entirely sure herself. "For being here," she told him finally. "For loving me."

Andros smiled, squeezing the fingers still resting over his. He slowly ran his thumb around the ring settled over the fourth finger of her left hand.

"Somehow," he said, "I think I should be thanking you."