Disclaimer: The lyrics used in this chapter were written specifically for this story... but the Power Rangers still aren't mine. Sadly, they never will be.
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: They can't get married on the spot, the rest of my story won't make sense otherwise. :P
Jenny: No, you won't have to wait five more weeks for any part of this story. :P I'm reminding you!
Author's Note: The song 'Saving Angel' was written by Marieke (AH/AY). (Thanks!)
Chapter 33
Ashley groaned and rushed into the bathroom, collapsing beside the toilet just as her stomach decided to empty itself. Miserably, she remained down on her knees for several minutes, wondering how she could be throwing up for so long when she had been to nervous to eat more than a mouthful in the last three days.
"You all right?"
"Yeah," she said faintly, glancing up to see Cassie standing over her, already fully dressed. "I'm fine. Just nerves."
"You'd better be fine," Cassie told her sternly. "I mean, here I am, all dressed up and gorgeous, and then you ruin it all by getting sick in the middle of the ceremony."
Ashley gave her friend a wan smile. "I thought it was my wedding."
"Details." Cassie made a face at her before shifting into a more serious mode. "Are your nerves done yet? We've got to get you all dressed up and gorgeous too."
"I'm done," Ashley assured her, standing and moving to the sink. Turning the knob for cold water, she rinsed her mouth out thoroughly half a dozen times, splashing some cold water across her face.
Cassie nodded, satisfied. "Now get in here!"
Laughing nervously, Ashley did as she was told, settling herself cross-legged on her bed as Cassie dug frantically through the collection of makeup that littered the dresser.
"What's taking so long?" Ashley demanded anxiously. "You didn't lose something, did you?"
"No, of course not," Cassie said hastily. "I'm just trying to... here! No, that's Karone's color, not yours... this one."
"Where is Karone, by the way?"
"Uh... I think she said something about flowers," Cassie said. "You know, your bouquet... Close your eyes, Ash."
Ashley shut her eyes obediantly, and Cassie set to work covering the few blemishes in Ashley's nearly flawless skin, rolling her eyes as Ashley fidgeted almost constantly.
Cassie laughed. "Ash, you've got nothing to be nervous about."
"Nothing to be nervous about?" she repeated indignantly. "I'm getting married!"
"To a man who practically worships you." Cassie paused for a moment, searching for the eyeshadow. "Ash, how much is today really going to change?"
"Everything!" Ashley cried. "This is our wedding!"
"Not what I meant," Cassie said. "Look, haven't you been living with him for seven months?"
"Well... sort of," Ashley admitted. "But we weren't sleeping together..."
"Until last month."
Ashley's eyes flew open. "I didn't tell you that!"
"No," Cassie replied, clearly amused. "But from the way you and Andros stare at each other, you might as well have... Ash, Tawny can sit still longer than you can."
Ashley cracked one eye open. "You put makeup on my three-year-old daughter?"
"Just a little lip gloss," Cassie assured her. "But she held still."
"I'm back!" Karone's voice announced. "Got the bouquet."
"Ashley!" Cassie exclaimed, finding herself dangerously close to putting her best friend's eye out with an eyeliner pencil.
"Sorry," Ashley said sheepishly, twisting around to face Cassie again. "I just wanted to see the bouquet... I'll keep my eyes shut."
"No," Cassie said, rolling her eyes. "I'm done now."
"So let's get you into that dress," Karone said with a grin.
Ashley's eyes lit up. Stripping off her pajamas, she tossed them into a corner of the room as Cassie and Karone freed the dress from it's protective plastic covering. They lowered the dress over her head slowly, careful not to let the white fabric come into contact with her beautifully made up face.
"Wow," Cassie breathed quietly. "You look gorgeous, Ash."
Karone nodded her agreement, passing Ashley her low heels and belt. Ashley slipped on the shoes and tied the belt at her waist, smiling nervously into the full length mirror propped up against the wall as she examined her reflection.
Though it had taken her almost until the wedding day to find, Ashley was absolutely in love with the dress she had selected. The pure white fabric was soft and just the tiniest bit fluffy. The sleeveless dress fell to only a half inch or so above the ground, showing off as much of her figure as it was supposed to hide. The V-cut neck and back were a bit too low for her to feel completely comfortable the first times she'd tried it on, but Ashley had to admit that the dress looked fabulous on her. Crimson and gold ribbon had been twined together to form the belt Ashley wore at her waist, the loose ends of ribbon trailing down along her side.
"I'm getting married," she murmured aloud, laughing nervously. "I'm getting married today."
"A little slow, are we?" Karone teased her. "Come on, sit, we need to finish your hair."
Careful not to rumple her dress, Ashley sat down on her bed once again, closing her eyes as Cassie and Karone brushed and combed through her hair, trying desperately to remain calm.
As if simply marrying Andros wasn't nerve-wracking enough, the wedding had ended up being held in KO-35's meeting hall with the entire planet invited to attend. Ashley had originally been leaning towards a small wedding, and she suspected Andros had as well, but when they had actually thought it out, they had realized that everyone who they would have invited was already a member of the wedding party.
Cassie and Karone were Ashley's bridesmaids. TJ, Carlos, and Zhane were the best men. Tawny was the flower girl and Jeff was walking Ashley down the aisle. According to Karovan law, only the elected leader of the colony, the current one being Kin Won, could perform legal marriage ceremonies, so he would be officiating.
The general public adored Andros, and though their open regard made him extremely uncomfortable at times, they were still his people. It had been his idea to make the wedding a public one, pointing out that they were unlikely to escape notice anyway.
"Ash, we're done," Cassie announced, disrupting her thoughts. "And we're right on time, too."
Karone pressed the bouquet of red and yellow roses into her hand before propelling her downstairs where Jeff was lounging around as best he could in his tux, keeping one eye on Tawny to be sure that she didn't destroy her dress completely.
"Wow," he said, grinning up at his sister as she slowly descended the stairs. "You look beautiful, Ash."
"Mommy!" Tawny rushed up to her, staring at her in awe. "Pretty dress."
"Thank you, sweetie," she said, her free hand catching Tawny's chubby arm. "Come on, we've got to go."
"Where are we going?" Tawny demanded. "Uncle Jeff say lots of people waitiing."
"That's right," Ashley said, her stomach churning again. "Lots of people."
"Worry about that when we get there," Cassie ordered brusquely, propelling her out the door. "Let's go."
"I'm driving," Karone said firmly, shoving Ashley over towards the passenger seat of the hovercar. "You can't drive to your own wedding."
"Thanks," she whispered thickly, her throat beginning to close up.
Breathe, she reminded herself as the car shifted into motion. Just breathe...
"Mommy?"
"Huh?" Ashley jerked around to face Tawny, who was straining to reach her from the backseat. "We're almost there, Tawny."
"Where my flowers?" Tawny demanded. "I wanna throw them!"
Karone laughed. "I've got them," she assured her. "But we'll keep them safe for you until we get there, all right?"
"And you don't throw them," Ashley remembered to add. "Just kind of sprinkle them on the ground, all right?"
Tawny pouted. "All right... but throwing them fun!"
"No throwing," Jeff told her firmly, saving Ashley the trouble of answering. "Your mommy and daddy want everything to be perfect today, all right?"
"All right," Tawny agreed, crestfallen.
"We're here," Karone announced.
"Why do you guys bother driving?" Jeff wondered aloud. "Everything's five minutes away."
"I am not walking to my own wedding," Ashley informed him, exhaling shakily as she eyed the doors in front of her.
"Come on, you guys," Cassie said, tugging on Ashley's arm. "Let's go."
"Wait here," Karone said. "I'm supposed to let them know that they can start the music."
"Breathe, Ash," Cassie reminded her.
Ashley made a face, but smiled shakily. "Thanks."
Cassie smiled and nodded, knowing what she'd meant.
"Okay," Karone said, rejoining them. "We've got about a minute... everyone ready?"
"Yeah," Ashley said distantly. "I'm ready."
"You'll be fine," Jeff assured her, slipping his arm through hers.
"Tawny, you come up here with us," Cassie said, pulling the little girl into place.
Music began to play and Ashley nearly fainted. Jeff nudged her, giving her an encouraging smile. She tried hard to return the gesture, finding it nearly as impossible as forcing her feet into motion.
Somehow she managed both, and she slowly made her way down the aisle, clinging to her brother's arm as she became terrifyingly aware of the number of eyes all fixed on her. The aisle was really a short one, but seemed to stretch on forever, with Andros just a little speck in the distance.
Then suddenly she standing directly in front of him and Jeff was placing her hand in his. Ashley met her brother's eye as he took a seat in the front row, pulling Tawny into his lap, thanking him silently. He nodded to her with a grin.
"We have come together to witness a union between two of our greatest heroes," Kin Won stated, his voice echoing through the hall. "We will begin with the blessings."
"Ashley," Zhane began, his serious tone a surprising contrast to his laughing blue eyes and wicked grin. "I wasn't around much during your time as a ranger, but it only took a minute to realize that your cheerfulness and determination kept the team alive whenever things were looking bad. But what was most obvious was the effect you had on Andros. Whenever you were around, he actually smiled. He laughed and did things other normal people did, just because you made him happy."
Zhane's face suddenly grew somber. "I know there are some things you'd much rather not think about on your wedding day," he said quietly. "But I just have to say that somehow you found the strength to laugh and smile even while your life was dark and almost hopeless. Somehow you found the courage to trust Andros with your heart and soul, and at some point, he found the courage to trust you with his. He might have come to love you slowly, but he loves you deeply, and the fact that you return that love is proof enough for everyone here that the two of you will be all right always."
He grinned at them both before taking a step back to rejoin TJ and Carlos. Ashley caught his eye, mouthing "Thank you." His grin took on a distinctly smug look and she shook her head, turning her attention to Cassie, who had just stepped forward to face Andros.
"Andros," she said, her voice, though quiet, carrying through the room with ease. "You've changed more than words can describe in the last two years, and I don't doubt Ashley is responsible for most of that. She was there for you whenever you needed her, and when she needed you, you didn't hesitate to support her the way she had always done for you. You spent every moment at her side, holding her hand, promising her that no matter what happened, you were always going to love her.
"I know that those words are true and that there is absolutely nothing that you wouldn't do just to make her happy. I know that when you look at Ashley, you see only the woman that you love and when you look at Tawny, you see only your daughter. But most of all, I know that the two of you will be forever because you have become too much a part of each other for it to be otherwise. I wish the two of you all the luck in the world and all the love."
"Andros," Kin Won said. "It is your turn."
Andros nodded briefly to acknowledge the statement. His eyes met Ashley's and his heart began thudding furiously. He swallowed hard, wondering why it was suddenly so hard to say the words that he had said so many times before.
"Ashley," he began haltingly. "I am alive today because of you. I'd spent half my life wishing for death, but the moment I saw you, I wanted to live. I wanted to remember what it meant to laugh and smile and to just let go, but more than anything else, I wanted to remember what it meant to love.
"I'd forgotten what love was," he admitted. "I'd made myself forget. It hurt too much to lose people, but then you were there, and all I knew was that it hurt even more to be apart from you.
"We wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you," he told her quietly, beginning to wrap up his short speech. "You made me relearn what it meant to live, and more importantly, to love, and for that, you'll always have mine."
Zhane stepped forward again, pressing a slender gold band into Andros's hand. Andros clenched his fist around it for an instant, giving Ashley a nervous grin. Carefully, he slid the ring over the fourth finger of her left hand, clasping her hand lightly before stepping back just a bit.
Kin Won nodded to Ashley wordlessly. She gulped, forcing herself to meet Andros's loving hazel eyes, although one glimpse of them threatened to break her down into uncontrollable tears. She reached for his hands instinctively, threading their fingers together as she took a deep breath.
"Andros, love doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about you," Ashley said quietly, blinking furiously to dam the tears threatening to run down her face. "The scariest moment of my life was when I had to tell you that I'd been lying to you the whole time we'd known each other. I was so sure that I was going to lose you then, but somehow I didn't. Somehow you loved me enough to see past all of that to me, and for that, I will never be able to thank you enough."
She drew a shaky breath, breaking his gaze for the first time since he had begun speaking, her eyes landing on Jeff. Andros followed her gaze, glancing at Ashley in confusion when he saw that her brother was situated behind a piano.
She knew she had to be gripping his hands painfully, but Andros didn't say a word. His eyes never left hers, the love she found in them soothing her nerves. Slowly, she nodded to Jeff, her hands still in Andros's as she began to sing.
Take me to a place that knows of no fear
Take me in your arms and make everything disappear
Save my soul from dying
I've been scarred far deeper than the eyes meet
It's been buried so no one would see
But you seemed to look right through me
Now take my hands
Kiss my fears away
For with you I feel safe
Throughout the night and day
The wounds, they burned, I could no longer pretend
When I bared my scars, you did not leave
You made me relearn how to believe
You fought to remain at my side
Refused to allow me to hide
You showed me how to live again
Now take my hands
Kiss my fears away
For with you I feel safe
Throughout the night and day
You helped me fight my demons of the past
It could no be done without shedding tears
But you helped me overcome my fears
To you I owe the life I lead
You and your silent plea
You stood by me
Now take my hands
Kiss my fears away
For with you I feel safe
Throughout the night and day
My love for you will never die
You, light in my darkened life
You, my saving Angel
Now take my hands
Kiss my fears away
For with you I feel safe
Throughout the night and day
"When I wrote this, it was more a prayer than anything else," she told him, her voice trembling. "It felt like I was all alone in the dark and I thought that I always would be, but because of you, I'm not. You saved me."
Ashley paused abruptly, closing her eyes in a futile effort to suppress her emotions. A few tears fell and it was all she could do to force back the rest of them. Swallowing hard, she attempted to steady her voice, determined to make it through the few sentences that she had left.
"It's because of you that I'm free," she choked out, releasing one of his hands to take the ring Cassie passed to her. "I'll love you always, Andros."
"I'll love you always." He echoed her words quietly, a few tears shining in his own eyes as she slipped the ring onto the fourth finger of his left hand.
Kin Won stepped forward then, pausing a moment before speaking. "Under Karovan law, you are married. However, on Earth, it is tradition to end the ceremony with a kiss."
He nodded to Andros, who grinned. His arms curving around Ashley's waist in a grip that swore he would never let her go, Andros drew her to him, gazing down into her sparkling eyes for a moment before lowering his lips to hers for the sweetest of kisses.