Chapter 2: Think of Me
When Andros woke up the next morning, he looked over to see Ashley curled up besides him, her hair all over and her arms peeking out from the covers. Moving closer to her, Andros stared at her as he let his fingers caress her arm as his thoughts began to wonder.
"How did you ever get me to love again?" he thought with a smile. "I thought it was impossible, but the moment I saw you on the bridge I knew I was lost. I was afraid that if I loved you I'd lose you too. You tell me that you need me but I need you more. I can't imagine life without you anymore." Andros sighed. "And someday I'll be able to tell you that." He leaned in to kiss her neck.
Stirring, Ashley opened her eyes to see Andros watching her. "Good morning." She said lazily, as she stretched. Andros just grinned and rolled over on top of her. "Good morning." He replied as he began kissing her and Ashley was quickly fully awake. "Mmm." She murmured as she gave herself up to his touch.
A few minutes later they were interrupted by Deca's alarm and Ashley sighed as she pulled herself out his arms. "I have to get up for school and you have to get up and leave." She said sadly as she sat up in the bed. Andros sat up with her. "I love you Ash, I'll be back as soon as I can." He brushed her hair away from her face so he could gaze at her face more clearly. He knew the words sounded empty even as he said them, but he didn't know what else to say. He used his actions to say what his words could not by pulled her back in and kissing her desperately.
Ashley nodded as she got out of bed and proceeded to get her clothes on. "I'll see you at breakfast." She stated giving him a kiss. Turning at the door Ashley looked into his eyes. "Thank you for last night Andros, it was incredible." She left before he could reply.
"No thank you Ash." He whispered as the door closed shut behind her. He sat there alone for a few minutes, overwhelmed with the sudden lonleniss he felt and wondered why he had to leave at all.
Andros shared breakfast with the whole team but pulled Ashley aside before she went to school. "I'll see you soon Ash." Andros told her truthfully, knowing he would miss her the minute she disappeared again.
"I know." She responded with tears in her eyes. "I just wish you didn't have to go."
"Me either." He agreed kissing the top of her head. Reluctantly he pulled away. "You're going to be late." Ashley leaned back in to touch his cheek and give him a gently kiss goodbye, leaving her hand on his cheek briefly before pulling away. "Think of me."
Andros nodded. "Always." He promised softly. Ashley gave a little wave before she was transported to school.
"There she is." TJ announced, spotting Ashley as she teleported to the park after school. "She did come after all," said a relieved Karone as the yellow ranger approached her friends. None of the rangers were sure how Ashley would react to another of Andros's absence.
"Hey Ash!" greeted Cassie as Ashley sat down on the blanket next to her. "Hey." Replied Ashley softly as she laid down and closed her eyes, trying to put the long day behind her.
"So what did you think of Carlson's assignment?" Carlos asked Ashley, trying to start an innocent conversation.
"What? He gave us an assignment?" She responded in confusion as her eyes flew open to look at the black ranger. Carlos laughed at her startled expression. "Were you paying attention at all Ash?" he teased his best friend.
"No. Not really." Ashley admitted as a wistful look appeared on her face. Zhane took the attention off of her by suggesting a game of volleyball. Shooting him a grateful look, Ashley was the first one on the court, and the rest of the afternoon was spent in the sun.
Karone knocked on the yellow ranger's door. "Come in." Ashley called from inside. Karone opened the door to see her lying on her bed playing with Andros's telekinesis ball. "The rest of us are going to see a movie. Do you want to come?" She asked her friend, hoping to keep her mind off her brother.
"No thanks Karone. I feel like being alone right now." Ashley responded softly, pushing the ball away form her and towards the wall. She didn't notice when Karone left. Letting the ball hit the ground Ashley got up out of bed and sat down at her desk. Glancing at the picture of her and Andros from the Homecoming Dance, she grabbed her journal and began to release her feelings.
Journal Entry:
Andros hasn't even been gone a day yet and it already feels like three months. How am I supposed to get through this if I have to feel this way every day for the next three months? I don't suppose Alpha could put me in a coma?
She paused from her writing as she rememberd last night. 'I don't regret it but it makes me miss him even more, if that's possible.' She took advantage of the solitude on the mega ship and replayed the cd her and Andros had played last night over dinner.
"I don't need a lot of things,
I can get by with nothing
Of all the blessings life can bring,
I've always needed something
But I've got all I want
When it comes to loving you
You're my only reason,
You're my only truth"
The soft music lulled her to an uneasy sleep, her head lying on her desk as exhaustion finally took over.
"Is she coming?" Cassie quizzed the purple ranger the instant Karone walked onto the bridge.
"No. She said she wanted to be alone. "Karone announced to the other rangers.
"Maybe one of us should stay here in case she needs us-"Carlos said worriedly, looking back at the closed door of the yellow ranger.
TJ touched the black ranger's arm."She'll be okay Carlos, let's go." TJ decided finally, sensing that Ashley just needed some time to sort everything out alone.
Later that night, with all the other rangers gone, Ashley crept out of her room and up to the observatory. Sitting down in a chair, she curled herself up under her blanket and looked out at the stars. Finding the one she was looking for, she thought of Andros. "Are you thinking of me too?" She wondered as her eyes closed and she was finally able to go to sleep.
Andros put down his notes for the conference meeting the next morning and went for a walk outside to sort out his thoughts and emotions. He glanced up at the sky and smiled when he saw the stars and picked out the one he had shown Ashley the night before. He wondered what she was up to and the promise he had made that morning to think of her. She was the only thing he was thinking about. It had only been a day and already he missed her like crazy. Her smile and the way she made him laugh, he didn't know if he could make it for three months without her. But they need me, he convinced himself. Ashley is a ranger and she has the others to look after her, he thought logically. But emotionally he wished he were back on the mega ship right now. This last time leaving her was definitely the hardest. He had no regrets about last night; he simply wished it could last forever. He regretted having to wake up and face saying goodbye to her. Dreaming about Ashley was not going to get him back faster, so with a sigh, he returned to reading intergalactic news.
When Andros woke up the next morning, he looked over to see Ashley curled up besides him, her hair all over and her arms peeking out from the covers. Moving closer to her, Andros stared at her as he let his fingers caress her arm as his thoughts began to wonder.
"How did you ever get me to love again?" he thought with a smile. "I thought it was impossible, but the moment I saw you on the bridge I knew I was lost. I was afraid that if I loved you I'd lose you too. You tell me that you need me but I need you more. I can't imagine life without you anymore." Andros sighed. "And someday I'll be able to tell you that." He leaned in to kiss her neck.
Stirring, Ashley opened her eyes to see Andros watching her. "Good morning." She said lazily, as she stretched. Andros just grinned and rolled over on top of her. "Good morning." He replied as he began kissing her and Ashley was quickly fully awake. "Mmm." She murmured as she gave herself up to his touch.
A few minutes later they were interrupted by Deca's alarm and Ashley sighed as she pulled herself out his arms. "I have to get up for school and you have to get up and leave." She said sadly as she sat up in the bed. Andros sat up with her. "I love you Ash, I'll be back as soon as I can." He brushed her hair away from her face so he could gaze at her face more clearly. He knew the words sounded empty even as he said them, but he didn't know what else to say. He used his actions to say what his words could not by pulled her back in and kissing her desperately.
Ashley nodded as she got out of bed and proceeded to get her clothes on. "I'll see you at breakfast." She stated giving him a kiss. Turning at the door Ashley looked into his eyes. "Thank you for last night Andros, it was incredible." She left before he could reply.
"No thank you Ash." He whispered as the door closed shut behind her. He sat there alone for a few minutes, overwhelmed with the sudden lonleniss he felt and wondered why he had to leave at all.
Andros shared breakfast with the whole team but pulled Ashley aside before she went to school. "I'll see you soon Ash." Andros told her truthfully, knowing he would miss her the minute she disappeared again.
"I know." She responded with tears in her eyes. "I just wish you didn't have to go."
"Me either." He agreed kissing the top of her head. Reluctantly he pulled away. "You're going to be late." Ashley leaned back in to touch his cheek and give him a gently kiss goodbye, leaving her hand on his cheek briefly before pulling away. "Think of me."
Andros nodded. "Always." He promised softly. Ashley gave a little wave before she was transported to school.
"There she is." TJ announced, spotting Ashley as she teleported to the park after school. "She did come after all," said a relieved Karone as the yellow ranger approached her friends. None of the rangers were sure how Ashley would react to another of Andros's absence.
"Hey Ash!" greeted Cassie as Ashley sat down on the blanket next to her. "Hey." Replied Ashley softly as she laid down and closed her eyes, trying to put the long day behind her.
"So what did you think of Carlson's assignment?" Carlos asked Ashley, trying to start an innocent conversation.
"What? He gave us an assignment?" She responded in confusion as her eyes flew open to look at the black ranger. Carlos laughed at her startled expression. "Were you paying attention at all Ash?" he teased his best friend.
"No. Not really." Ashley admitted as a wistful look appeared on her face. Zhane took the attention off of her by suggesting a game of volleyball. Shooting him a grateful look, Ashley was the first one on the court, and the rest of the afternoon was spent in the sun.
Karone knocked on the yellow ranger's door. "Come in." Ashley called from inside. Karone opened the door to see her lying on her bed playing with Andros's telekinesis ball. "The rest of us are going to see a movie. Do you want to come?" She asked her friend, hoping to keep her mind off her brother.
"No thanks Karone. I feel like being alone right now." Ashley responded softly, pushing the ball away form her and towards the wall. She didn't notice when Karone left. Letting the ball hit the ground Ashley got up out of bed and sat down at her desk. Glancing at the picture of her and Andros from the Homecoming Dance, she grabbed her journal and began to release her feelings.
Journal Entry:
Andros hasn't even been gone a day yet and it already feels like three months. How am I supposed to get through this if I have to feel this way every day for the next three months? I don't suppose Alpha could put me in a coma?
She paused from her writing as she rememberd last night. 'I don't regret it but it makes me miss him even more, if that's possible.' She took advantage of the solitude on the mega ship and replayed the cd her and Andros had played last night over dinner.
"I don't need a lot of things,
I can get by with nothing
Of all the blessings life can bring,
I've always needed something
But I've got all I want
When it comes to loving you
You're my only reason,
You're my only truth"
The soft music lulled her to an uneasy sleep, her head lying on her desk as exhaustion finally took over.
"Is she coming?" Cassie quizzed the purple ranger the instant Karone walked onto the bridge.
"No. She said she wanted to be alone. "Karone announced to the other rangers.
"Maybe one of us should stay here in case she needs us-"Carlos said worriedly, looking back at the closed door of the yellow ranger.
TJ touched the black ranger's arm."She'll be okay Carlos, let's go." TJ decided finally, sensing that Ashley just needed some time to sort everything out alone.
Later that night, with all the other rangers gone, Ashley crept out of her room and up to the observatory. Sitting down in a chair, she curled herself up under her blanket and looked out at the stars. Finding the one she was looking for, she thought of Andros. "Are you thinking of me too?" She wondered as her eyes closed and she was finally able to go to sleep.
Andros put down his notes for the conference meeting the next morning and went for a walk outside to sort out his thoughts and emotions. He glanced up at the sky and smiled when he saw the stars and picked out the one he had shown Ashley the night before. He wondered what she was up to and the promise he had made that morning to think of her. She was the only thing he was thinking about. It had only been a day and already he missed her like crazy. Her smile and the way she made him laugh, he didn't know if he could make it for three months without her. But they need me, he convinced himself. Ashley is a ranger and she has the others to look after her, he thought logically. But emotionally he wished he were back on the mega ship right now. This last time leaving her was definitely the hardest. He had no regrets about last night; he simply wished it could last forever. He regretted having to wake up and face saying goodbye to her. Dreaming about Ashley was not going to get him back faster, so with a sigh, he returned to reading intergalactic news.