Jenny: You're right Ashley is really nice, especially when it comes to Andros.
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Thanks for the guarantee. It's great to know that other people love my story as much as I do.
Phantom Rogue: Wow! I really made you cry? I guess that makes sense since I started crying while writing it.
Disclaimer: As much as I would like for it to be, Power Rangers is not my creation.
Ch. 10 The Return of Silver
It had been weeks since Andros' and Ashley's little talk. The other rangers knew that they were dating now but had no clue how it had started. Cassie had tried to ask Ashley once but all her best friend would say was that it was between her and Andros. Cassie had given up then, knowing from experience how stubborn Ashley could be.
One night Andros and Ashley were out on a date in Angel Groove. They had went to see some kind of space move. Andros had been very intrigued and Ashley had loved the expression on his face when they had left, it was priceless. On their way to the Surf Spot to get something to eat they were attacked by a group of Quantrons and Ecliptor. Ecliptor drew out his sword and took a swing at Ashley before they had a chance to morph. Andros jumped in front of her without thinking and took the blow for her.
"Andros! No!" was the last thing he heard before darkness surrounded him. Ashley quickly went to his side trying desperately to wake him. When she got no response she called for the others. "Guys! Andros and I were attacked outside the Surf Spot and we need some help." Within seconds the other rangers were there fighting off the Quantrons and Ecliptor. Ecliptor, noticing his side's obvious disadvantage even with the injured Red Ranger, retreated back to the Dark Fortress. T.J. and Carlos rushed over and picked up Andros while Cassie got Ashley calmed down.
They teleported directly to the Med Bay, not wanting to injure Andros anymore than he already was. He was covered in blood from Ecliptor's strike. As quickly and as carefully as they could they bandaged the large wound covering the majority of their leader's chest. Cassie knew it would be better for everyone to keep Ashley out of the room for as long as humanly possible. So she sent her to change clothes, since her's were also covered by Andros' blood and then felt it would be save for her to enter the Med Bay. When they entered T.J. was running a scanner over Andros to see if he had anymore injuries than the wound.
"Well," he began as he searched through the many draws and cabinets of the Med Bay looking for any kind of sedative or pain killer, "the cut is his only injury, although the scanner did find many old breaks and even one fairly new one."
"A new one?" Ashley asked. She knew that it had most likely come from his parents from what he had told her but she wasn't sure how unless... He had taken a three day vacation saying that he had some important meetings to go to. When he had come back he had locked himself in his room telling her again and again that he just wanted to be alone. And she had left him alone.
"You know where they all came from don't you?" Cassie asked quietly and Ashley nodded. "You should tell us."
"I can't," she argued. "I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone. That it would just stay between us."
"Ashley," Carlos started as he moved towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "if it has to do with anyone on this team we should all know that way we're ready for whatever happens."
"Okay," she surrendered, "but you have to promise that you'll never tell him I told you until he's ready to tell you himself." Everyone agreed and she continued, "His father never loved him, he didn't even like him. He would beat Andros over any little mistake. As he got older and his sister was kidnaped it just got worse and pretty soon his mother turned against him. I know that's where the old breaks came from and I think when he took that vacation last week..."
"He went home and it happened again," T.J. finished and she nodded. They all turned around when they heard a quiet moan come from the bed. "Hey Andros, how are you feeling?"
"Sore," he rasped as his voice came out hoarse and then he began to panic as he remembered what had happened. "Where's Ashley?" He tried to sit up but fell back in pain.
"I'm right here, Andros," Ashley whispered as she moved to sit beside the bed, "and I'm not going anywhere." Andros only smiled as he felt a needle poke through his skin as T.J. administered a pain killer and in seconds he was asleep again. The others began to file out of the room but paused when Ashley didn't follow. "You guys go ahead. I'm not going to leave him in here by himself. He's been alone enough in his life." They knew better than to argue with her and just left her there.
Days later Andros was making improvements. He could now sit up but he was still unable to leave the Med Bay because of the possibility of him ripping out his stitches. Ashley was still at his side and he had told her about his latest encounter with his parents when she asked about what they had found.
"Andros," she began, "we found a pretty recent break in your arm and I was wondering where it came from." She could tell by the startled look on his face that her guess had been correct but she wanted him to tell her.
"It was my parents," he answered. "When I went on that vacation last week I went home and that's what happened."
"Why didn't you tell me," Ashley asked.
"I was ashamed that I let it happen again," he whispered. "Before I was a little boy that couldn't defend himself but now I'm the leader of the Power Rangers and I can't even stand up to my own father." He had started crying then and she had given him another pain killer, knowing that crying this much wasn't going to help him get better.
About the time the others were thinking about letting him out of the Med Bay Astronama
attacked Earth. They had left him there, giving DECA strict instructions not to let him come down no matter what. He had been sitting there in his bed observing the battle when he felt that something was wrong with his best friend, Zhane. He slowly pushed himself off the bed and stood on his feet. He stumbled his first few steps but then seemed to be fine. He rushed into the Engine Room keying open a secret door. When he stepped in he was extremely surprised to see that the cryogenic sleep chamber seemed to be thawing out. At first he thought that something was wrong with it but DECA assured him that it was only Zhane waking up.
For Zhane waking up in a small cold box was not what he was expecting. He began to panic when he felt a familiar presence in his mind, 'Andros?'
'Yeah, it's me. Hang on and I'll get you out of there.' Andros quickly unlocked the chamber allowing his best friend to sit up before he hugged him.
"What happened?" Zhane asked.
Before Andros could answer DECA interrupted, "The other rangers are in dire need of help."
"Zhane," Andros began, "you have to go help them." At his friend's skeptical look he added, "I'll explain later." He watched as Zhane left to help the rest of his team and then he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. "DECA, bring the fight up on the screen on the Bridge." When he arrived he saw Ashley clutching her shoulder and immediately figured that they had some telepathic and empathic connection. When the monster was finally defeated they all returned to the Megaship looking to him for an explanation. "I guess everyone here has a lot of questions."
"Who are these people, Andros?" Zhane asked first.
"These are the other rangers, T.J., Carlos, Cassie, and my girlfriend Ashley," Andros answered, laughing slightly at his friend's startled look. "Yes, girlfriend. Everyone else this is Zhane, he's my best friend. He was injured two years ago in the final battle on KO-35 and I had to put him in cryogenic suspension."
"Why didn't you tell us?" T.J. questioned, obviously upset that he had kept this from them.
"I wasn't sure how you would react," he responded truthfully. "Ashley took it pretty good but I wasn't so sure about the rest of you. I'm sorry." He looked over at Ashley and could tell she had a question for him as well and he thought he knew what it would be. "Yes, Ashley?"
"I was wondering," she began hesitantly, "the other day when you got hurt I felt it too, what does that mean?"
"It means that the two of you have an empathic bond and probably a telepathic one as well," Zhane answered. At Ashley look he added, "Andros and I have one too."
After a few more minutes of questions they all went off in their own directions. T.J. and Carlos were going to go to the Surf Spot and get everyone something to eat. Ashley drug Cassie to the Simudeck knowing that Andros had a lot to explain to Zhane and the other set of best friend's headed to their favorite place on the ship, the Observatory.
A/N: Please review.