The doctor looked at his patient with her husband right next to her bed,
holding her hand. He told them, "It has been 12 hours since your water
broke Ashley. Now we would very much like to press the idea of a C Section.
If you would like we could give you some more drugs and then try again. But
odds are you are going to be worn out."
Ashley sighed as she squeezed her husbands hand harder obviously child birth was not as simple as it sounded.
Andros' face was filled with concern as he felt Ashley squeeze his hand harder. He looked at the doctor and said, "Do what you have to, doctor, please."
The doctor sounded encouraging, "We'll have you ready for your C Section soon." He could not help but see the concerned look in Ashley's eyes. He knew her personality so he asked, "Planning on feeding your child the old fashioned way or formula?"
Ashley relaxed a bit, "Well I was thinking about the old fashioned breast feeding way but I wanted Andros to be one of the ones to get up at 2am. So it was either gets him down town for some major plastic surgery or choice formula."
The doctor smiled. He turned to Andros, "You can come in as soon as we set her up. But you have to wear some special gear."
"Alright," Andros said letting go of Ashley's hand reluctantly. "I will be back. I am going to see how everyone in the waiting room is and then I will get the gear on be back." As he walked out of the room his eyes didn't leave Ashley until the door blocked her from his view. He made his way to the waiting room where the other astro rangers, Karone, and Ashley's family were waiting.
"Well?" Ashley's mother asked getting to her feet. Andros explained everything and watched her mother's face become concerned. "She'll be alright won't she?"
"She will be fine they say," Andros said, "I have to go get ready."
He started to walk away when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He stopped and looked to see TJ standing there. "You said Ash will be alright but what about you? Are you going to be alright?"
Andros looked his friend his face grim, "I'm scared. Here I faced down the worst evil in the universe without flinching but when it comes to becoming a father I am terrified. And it doesn't help there being so many problems."
"I wish I could relate so I could I have something inspiring to say but I can't." TJ said. "All I can say is just keep telling yourself everything is going to be alright. I know that may not be as inspiring as some would come up with but it is all I got."
"Thanks TJ, you are help enough," Andros said shaking the blue rangers hand and followed a nurse to get the gear on.
The nurse had overheard Andros talking to his family. She said reassuringly, "Don't worry this long delay comes naturally for first time mothers. Dr. Carter knows what he is doing." She led him to outside a room and handed him some hospital stuff to put over his cloths, "As soon as you get this on come in the room, Ashley will be waiting."
Andros nodded and slipped on the cloths and headed into the room.
An hour passed and soon Ashley and Andros were in her room. In her arms she held their newborn daughter. The door to the room opened slowly and the group from the waiting room entered. Ashley's mom's eyes were filled with joy as she gazed at her new granddaughter. "What's her name?"
"Paige Aurora Hammond," Ashley's tired face beamed.
"Aurora wasn't that that girl from Serit 12 that had the hots for you Andros?" Zhane grinned when he saw Andros' face looked confused. "I'm kidding."
Karone nudged Zhane playfully and then gazed down at Paige. "Can I hold her?"
"In a minute" Ashley said.
"Hey wait I'm the grandmother I get to hold her first," Ashley's mom spoke up.
Ashley did not look like she wanted to give up her daughter to anyone any time soon. Carlos creped up to look at the girl and said, "Ah she's cute. Look Andros-she has your face."
Ashley smiled, "Let's just hope she doesn't grow up to have her father's independence and roam the universe by herself." She held up Paige to look at her, "you won't ever leave me like that will you?"
She smiled as the infant blew spit bubbles. She brought the infant so that her head was on her shoulder and she hugged Paige softly.
Ashley's mom said, "May I hold my granddaughter now?"
Ashley sighed but she soon let her mother hold the small girl.
TJ walked up and patted Andros on the back, "You forgot the cigars."
"What?" Andros asked his eyes finally leaving Paige who had been staring at since she was born.
"Nevermind," TJ grinned.
"Wow she does have Andros' face," Zhane said and then added, "Poor kid."
Meanwhile Ashley's mother carefully handed Paige to Karone. Karone rocked Paige gently, "Hi, I'm your Aunt Karone. I am going to spoil you so much."
Over the next few minutes Ashley watched as Paige was passed around the group. From her mom to Karone. From Karone to Cassie. From Cassie to Carlos. From Carlos to TJ. And then finally to Zhane. "You know little girl when you start dating the guys are going to be in trouble because you got power rangers as family."
Karone wanted to hold Paige again so she took the little girl away from Zhane. Karone held the girl till Paige became fussy and started to cry a bit. Karone tried to comfort her but she was not successful. So she walked over and handed the girl to Andros. As soon as Paige was in her fathers arms she started to calm down. She looked up at her father and smiled a bit.
Ashley was half asleep but she saw this. She said to Andros, "Looks like someone's a daddy's girl."
Andros didn't respond to the comment. He stood staring down at Paige. He realized at that moment of all the innocent lives out there he felt was his job to protect none of them seemed as important compared to this small child, his child, his daughter, his Paige. Holding her close he stepped to the window and looked out at the star filled night. "Out there behind all those stars there is so much good but there is also so much that can hurt you. There so much on this planet that can hurt you. But I swear to you now. As long as I draw breath, I will do everything in my power to keep you from feeling pain and keep all the bad things away. No matter what the future brings I will always be there when you need me. Just look up at the stars. No matter where we are we will be connected by those stars always."
Little Paige, who was less than an hour old, let out a few baby noises as if to agree with her father.
Ashley watched her two favorite people in the world bound. She smiled every as widely as the others around here were talking among themselves and not paying much attention to her, Andros or Paige. Finally exhaustion over took her and she drifted off to sleep.
The others soon took notice to Ashley and decided it was time to leave. Saying their goodbyes to Andros and Paige the group left the room leaving Andros standing by the window with Paige. He didn't know how long he was standing there before a nurse finally came to take Paige to the nursery. After he finally gave Paige over to the nurse Andros slumped into a chair beside Ashley's bed and took her hand gently as he dozed off into slumber a proud husband and father.
* * *
As Andros stood holding Paige looking at the stars from the hospital window on Earth, darkness was forming on fiery planet light-years away. From the fires that raged on the planet an infant formed. But as the fires churned the infant grew into a child, then into a teenager, until finally a grown man strolled forth from the flames. He stood bare staring up into space. Howling into the night darkness over took the man covering his body in twisted armor leaving him a dark beast standing in the fiery hell around him staring down at his new form.
A twisted laugh came from the creature's throat as it gazed into the flames. A word words came out in a hideous growl, "Vengeance!"
An image flickered in the flames. The image showed of a younger Andros only a short time after he became the red astro ranger. The creature slashed at the image ignoring the burning flames. "WHERE?"
The flames flickered again and showed the planet, Earth. The creature laughed again as he rose up in a stream of fire.
Ashley sighed as she squeezed her husbands hand harder obviously child birth was not as simple as it sounded.
Andros' face was filled with concern as he felt Ashley squeeze his hand harder. He looked at the doctor and said, "Do what you have to, doctor, please."
The doctor sounded encouraging, "We'll have you ready for your C Section soon." He could not help but see the concerned look in Ashley's eyes. He knew her personality so he asked, "Planning on feeding your child the old fashioned way or formula?"
Ashley relaxed a bit, "Well I was thinking about the old fashioned breast feeding way but I wanted Andros to be one of the ones to get up at 2am. So it was either gets him down town for some major plastic surgery or choice formula."
The doctor smiled. He turned to Andros, "You can come in as soon as we set her up. But you have to wear some special gear."
"Alright," Andros said letting go of Ashley's hand reluctantly. "I will be back. I am going to see how everyone in the waiting room is and then I will get the gear on be back." As he walked out of the room his eyes didn't leave Ashley until the door blocked her from his view. He made his way to the waiting room where the other astro rangers, Karone, and Ashley's family were waiting.
"Well?" Ashley's mother asked getting to her feet. Andros explained everything and watched her mother's face become concerned. "She'll be alright won't she?"
"She will be fine they say," Andros said, "I have to go get ready."
He started to walk away when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He stopped and looked to see TJ standing there. "You said Ash will be alright but what about you? Are you going to be alright?"
Andros looked his friend his face grim, "I'm scared. Here I faced down the worst evil in the universe without flinching but when it comes to becoming a father I am terrified. And it doesn't help there being so many problems."
"I wish I could relate so I could I have something inspiring to say but I can't." TJ said. "All I can say is just keep telling yourself everything is going to be alright. I know that may not be as inspiring as some would come up with but it is all I got."
"Thanks TJ, you are help enough," Andros said shaking the blue rangers hand and followed a nurse to get the gear on.
The nurse had overheard Andros talking to his family. She said reassuringly, "Don't worry this long delay comes naturally for first time mothers. Dr. Carter knows what he is doing." She led him to outside a room and handed him some hospital stuff to put over his cloths, "As soon as you get this on come in the room, Ashley will be waiting."
Andros nodded and slipped on the cloths and headed into the room.
An hour passed and soon Ashley and Andros were in her room. In her arms she held their newborn daughter. The door to the room opened slowly and the group from the waiting room entered. Ashley's mom's eyes were filled with joy as she gazed at her new granddaughter. "What's her name?"
"Paige Aurora Hammond," Ashley's tired face beamed.
"Aurora wasn't that that girl from Serit 12 that had the hots for you Andros?" Zhane grinned when he saw Andros' face looked confused. "I'm kidding."
Karone nudged Zhane playfully and then gazed down at Paige. "Can I hold her?"
"In a minute" Ashley said.
"Hey wait I'm the grandmother I get to hold her first," Ashley's mom spoke up.
Ashley did not look like she wanted to give up her daughter to anyone any time soon. Carlos creped up to look at the girl and said, "Ah she's cute. Look Andros-she has your face."
Ashley smiled, "Let's just hope she doesn't grow up to have her father's independence and roam the universe by herself." She held up Paige to look at her, "you won't ever leave me like that will you?"
She smiled as the infant blew spit bubbles. She brought the infant so that her head was on her shoulder and she hugged Paige softly.
Ashley's mom said, "May I hold my granddaughter now?"
Ashley sighed but she soon let her mother hold the small girl.
TJ walked up and patted Andros on the back, "You forgot the cigars."
"What?" Andros asked his eyes finally leaving Paige who had been staring at since she was born.
"Nevermind," TJ grinned.
"Wow she does have Andros' face," Zhane said and then added, "Poor kid."
Meanwhile Ashley's mother carefully handed Paige to Karone. Karone rocked Paige gently, "Hi, I'm your Aunt Karone. I am going to spoil you so much."
Over the next few minutes Ashley watched as Paige was passed around the group. From her mom to Karone. From Karone to Cassie. From Cassie to Carlos. From Carlos to TJ. And then finally to Zhane. "You know little girl when you start dating the guys are going to be in trouble because you got power rangers as family."
Karone wanted to hold Paige again so she took the little girl away from Zhane. Karone held the girl till Paige became fussy and started to cry a bit. Karone tried to comfort her but she was not successful. So she walked over and handed the girl to Andros. As soon as Paige was in her fathers arms she started to calm down. She looked up at her father and smiled a bit.
Ashley was half asleep but she saw this. She said to Andros, "Looks like someone's a daddy's girl."
Andros didn't respond to the comment. He stood staring down at Paige. He realized at that moment of all the innocent lives out there he felt was his job to protect none of them seemed as important compared to this small child, his child, his daughter, his Paige. Holding her close he stepped to the window and looked out at the star filled night. "Out there behind all those stars there is so much good but there is also so much that can hurt you. There so much on this planet that can hurt you. But I swear to you now. As long as I draw breath, I will do everything in my power to keep you from feeling pain and keep all the bad things away. No matter what the future brings I will always be there when you need me. Just look up at the stars. No matter where we are we will be connected by those stars always."
Little Paige, who was less than an hour old, let out a few baby noises as if to agree with her father.
Ashley watched her two favorite people in the world bound. She smiled every as widely as the others around here were talking among themselves and not paying much attention to her, Andros or Paige. Finally exhaustion over took her and she drifted off to sleep.
The others soon took notice to Ashley and decided it was time to leave. Saying their goodbyes to Andros and Paige the group left the room leaving Andros standing by the window with Paige. He didn't know how long he was standing there before a nurse finally came to take Paige to the nursery. After he finally gave Paige over to the nurse Andros slumped into a chair beside Ashley's bed and took her hand gently as he dozed off into slumber a proud husband and father.
* * *
As Andros stood holding Paige looking at the stars from the hospital window on Earth, darkness was forming on fiery planet light-years away. From the fires that raged on the planet an infant formed. But as the fires churned the infant grew into a child, then into a teenager, until finally a grown man strolled forth from the flames. He stood bare staring up into space. Howling into the night darkness over took the man covering his body in twisted armor leaving him a dark beast standing in the fiery hell around him staring down at his new form.
A twisted laugh came from the creature's throat as it gazed into the flames. A word words came out in a hideous growl, "Vengeance!"
An image flickered in the flames. The image showed of a younger Andros only a short time after he became the red astro ranger. The creature slashed at the image ignoring the burning flames. "WHERE?"
The flames flickered again and showed the planet, Earth. The creature laughed again as he rose up in a stream of fire.