Chapter 7: Early morning confessions
The next morning Andros wakes up to find Ashley is not in bed with him. Turning over, he sees a light on in the bathroom and hears Ashley throwing up. He tosses off the covers and hurries to her side. "Ash, are you okay?" he asks tenderly as he kneels down next to her and brushes her hair from her face.
"I'm done." She mumbles as she leans back against him. Taking a deep breath, Ashley decides to tell Andros the truth. "Listen Andros, there's something I have to tell you. It's something you may not want to hear, but I have to tell you anyway."
Andros sat there still, afraid of what she would say. She couldn't be breaking up with him, could she? He worried. He forced himself to breathe as he waited for her to speak.
"I'm pregnant." She stated, looking straight into his eyes to see his reaction, and hoping he wouldn't break up with her. She thought their relationship was stronger than that, but she didn't know where Andros stood on the subject of getting married, let alone having children.
He let out the breath he was holding. She wasn't breaking up with him." You scared me Ash. I thought it was something terrible like you were sick, or you were going to break up with me." He admitted, feeling relieved.
He sat there for a few minutes just holding her when he exclaimed, "We're going to have a baby?" he placed his hand over her belly where their unborn child was waiting. "Wow." He said incredulously.
Ashley was stunned. After running through every imaginable scenario in her head, she had been too afraid to hope that this would be how it happened. "You're not upset? We didn't plan this." Ashley asked timidly, wanting to make sure.
Andros had never seen or heard Ashley so uncertain before. How could he have left her thinking there was no future for them? "How come you never called me?" He wondered inquiringly.
"No offense Andros," she began sadly. "But if you didn't stay for me, I wasn't positive you would stay for our child." His heart broke at her forlorn statement.
"I quit the alliance you know." He announced suddenly to her surprise and shock.
"Why?" She demanded to know.
"I was wrong Ash. I thought I could leave you, I thought you didn't need me. But after the last attack when you were hurt, and I couldn't do anything," he paused. "I've never felt so helpless in my whole life." And as he said that he knew it was true. She was his whole world, he had lost many things in his life, and had seemingly recovered, but if he lost her he knew he would be lost.
"When did you find out?" Andros asked her, still marveling in the fact that she was carrying his child.
"After the last attack, I knew something was wrong as soon as I even landed on the ground. And after the sword hit me, I knew I was in too much pain for the hit I received. I demanded that I go to the hospital; I knew something was amiss, and I didn't want the others to know. But I didn't have any idea that I was pregnant, until the doctor told me." Andros clenched his fists in anger as he thought about how close he came to losing her and their child.
"You're not upset? We didn't plan this." Ashley asked timidly. Andros had never seen or heard Ashley so uncertain before. How could he have left her thinking there was no future for them.
"Ash." He grabbed her hands and forced her to look at him. "I never planned on getting new teammates, and I never expected that I would find Zhane or Karone again. But above all, I never planned on falling in love. But I did, and I wouldn't change that for anything. We might not have planned to have a child now, but I hoped that someday we would. Someday's just a little sooner than we thought." Ashley cried at his honest heartfelt expression of love for her. All her doubts and fears were slowly fading away.
"Did you think I would be upset?" He asked.
"I didn't know what to think. We had never talked about the future before. We are both young and it was our first time and I didn't want you to be tied down."
"Hmm. Sounds like something I said once. But a wise person told me that I was being selfish and that she would wait for me forever. Ash, I didn't tell you then but I'll tell you now, I can't imagine my life without you. In fact, I don't want to find out what it would-be e like. These past three months I have felt so alone, and I never want to felt that way again." He gazed deeply in her eyes and slowly framed her face with his hands before kissing her on her lips.
"So how about we go tell the others?" he suggested, wanting to tell everyone the good news. To his surprise, she protested strongly against the idea.
"NO! I don't want to tell them yet." She exclaimed. He didn't understand why, but agreed nonetheless to wait.
"They're going to find out soon Ash." He reminded her. At three months, she wasn't showing yet, but she could feel the changes in her body, as the last attack clearly evidenced. Soon she would be showing confirmation of their growing child.
"How about we tell them we're getting married." He suggested hopefully instead.
"We are?" She asked curiously. 'Did I miss something?' she thought. He laughed at her bewildered expression.
"Yes, if you'll have me." Andros stated. Ashley threw her arms around her boyfriend, or newly determined fiancé. "Of course I'll have you." "We'll both have you." She amended.
"I'm so glad. I'm going to take care of you both, and be the best husband and father. So when will you marry me?" He asked, enjoying the cheerful occasion.
Before she could answer the alarm rang out. They both groaned in unison and made their way to the bridge. Gingerly he helped Ashley to her feet. She had to laugh at the great care he was taking, treating her as if she were fragile.
"I'm not going to break you know." She reminded him. He blushed at her teasing. "I'm not taking any chances." Her heart leapt at his statement and the two hurried hand in hand to meet the others.
"Rangers, Dark Spectre has sent Talon down to Angel Grove Park. You must go right away." Deca declared.
"Right." Andros agreed. "Ashley you stay here, the rest of us will go fight Talon." HE announced firmly. The fact that she didn't argue was not lost on the other rangers. But before they could further decipher Andros's decision, the red ranger called out, "Deca, six to teleport." And the six disappeared in colored streams of light. Ashley sank back into a chair.
"Be careful." She whispered to her teammates as she closed her eyes to fight off the nauseous feeling.
A video transmission interrupted her brief nap. A sinking feeling hit her as she waited for it to connect with main screen on the mega ship. A glowering image of Dark Spectre appeared suddenly. Alert, she sat up in the chair and was horrified at the next image that appeared. Behind him, wrapped in chains and tied to a pole was a human being, who was being held captive. As the camera zoomed in, Ashley realized with horror it was her brother Jeff.
"He knows." She said aloud. "Dark Spectre knows about the baby." She mumbled to herself in disbelief. Her worst fears were coming true.
"Yellow ranger, If you want your brother back alive, you will meet me on Phaedos and turn yourself over." Dark Spectre declared smugly. "Failure to do so in an hour will result in a long, tortuous death for him."
The video shut off suddenly as Ashley was faced with a terrible decision. She couldn't let her brother die, buts he knew that she would be captured and used as bait to capture and destroy Andros.
She never had a more difficult decision to make in her life. Give up her brother and ultimately give her fiancé over to Dark Spectre. Following her gut instinct that had proven wise time and again, she quickly teleported to Phaedos, ready to surrender. She only could hope that Andros would come up with a solution to the mess they now find themselves.
The next morning Andros wakes up to find Ashley is not in bed with him. Turning over, he sees a light on in the bathroom and hears Ashley throwing up. He tosses off the covers and hurries to her side. "Ash, are you okay?" he asks tenderly as he kneels down next to her and brushes her hair from her face.
"I'm done." She mumbles as she leans back against him. Taking a deep breath, Ashley decides to tell Andros the truth. "Listen Andros, there's something I have to tell you. It's something you may not want to hear, but I have to tell you anyway."
Andros sat there still, afraid of what she would say. She couldn't be breaking up with him, could she? He worried. He forced himself to breathe as he waited for her to speak.
"I'm pregnant." She stated, looking straight into his eyes to see his reaction, and hoping he wouldn't break up with her. She thought their relationship was stronger than that, but she didn't know where Andros stood on the subject of getting married, let alone having children.
He let out the breath he was holding. She wasn't breaking up with him." You scared me Ash. I thought it was something terrible like you were sick, or you were going to break up with me." He admitted, feeling relieved.
He sat there for a few minutes just holding her when he exclaimed, "We're going to have a baby?" he placed his hand over her belly where their unborn child was waiting. "Wow." He said incredulously.
Ashley was stunned. After running through every imaginable scenario in her head, she had been too afraid to hope that this would be how it happened. "You're not upset? We didn't plan this." Ashley asked timidly, wanting to make sure.
Andros had never seen or heard Ashley so uncertain before. How could he have left her thinking there was no future for them? "How come you never called me?" He wondered inquiringly.
"No offense Andros," she began sadly. "But if you didn't stay for me, I wasn't positive you would stay for our child." His heart broke at her forlorn statement.
"I quit the alliance you know." He announced suddenly to her surprise and shock.
"Why?" She demanded to know.
"I was wrong Ash. I thought I could leave you, I thought you didn't need me. But after the last attack when you were hurt, and I couldn't do anything," he paused. "I've never felt so helpless in my whole life." And as he said that he knew it was true. She was his whole world, he had lost many things in his life, and had seemingly recovered, but if he lost her he knew he would be lost.
"When did you find out?" Andros asked her, still marveling in the fact that she was carrying his child.
"After the last attack, I knew something was wrong as soon as I even landed on the ground. And after the sword hit me, I knew I was in too much pain for the hit I received. I demanded that I go to the hospital; I knew something was amiss, and I didn't want the others to know. But I didn't have any idea that I was pregnant, until the doctor told me." Andros clenched his fists in anger as he thought about how close he came to losing her and their child.
"You're not upset? We didn't plan this." Ashley asked timidly. Andros had never seen or heard Ashley so uncertain before. How could he have left her thinking there was no future for them.
"Ash." He grabbed her hands and forced her to look at him. "I never planned on getting new teammates, and I never expected that I would find Zhane or Karone again. But above all, I never planned on falling in love. But I did, and I wouldn't change that for anything. We might not have planned to have a child now, but I hoped that someday we would. Someday's just a little sooner than we thought." Ashley cried at his honest heartfelt expression of love for her. All her doubts and fears were slowly fading away.
"Did you think I would be upset?" He asked.
"I didn't know what to think. We had never talked about the future before. We are both young and it was our first time and I didn't want you to be tied down."
"Hmm. Sounds like something I said once. But a wise person told me that I was being selfish and that she would wait for me forever. Ash, I didn't tell you then but I'll tell you now, I can't imagine my life without you. In fact, I don't want to find out what it would-be e like. These past three months I have felt so alone, and I never want to felt that way again." He gazed deeply in her eyes and slowly framed her face with his hands before kissing her on her lips.
"So how about we go tell the others?" he suggested, wanting to tell everyone the good news. To his surprise, she protested strongly against the idea.
"NO! I don't want to tell them yet." She exclaimed. He didn't understand why, but agreed nonetheless to wait.
"They're going to find out soon Ash." He reminded her. At three months, she wasn't showing yet, but she could feel the changes in her body, as the last attack clearly evidenced. Soon she would be showing confirmation of their growing child.
"How about we tell them we're getting married." He suggested hopefully instead.
"We are?" She asked curiously. 'Did I miss something?' she thought. He laughed at her bewildered expression.
"Yes, if you'll have me." Andros stated. Ashley threw her arms around her boyfriend, or newly determined fiancé. "Of course I'll have you." "We'll both have you." She amended.
"I'm so glad. I'm going to take care of you both, and be the best husband and father. So when will you marry me?" He asked, enjoying the cheerful occasion.
Before she could answer the alarm rang out. They both groaned in unison and made their way to the bridge. Gingerly he helped Ashley to her feet. She had to laugh at the great care he was taking, treating her as if she were fragile.
"I'm not going to break you know." She reminded him. He blushed at her teasing. "I'm not taking any chances." Her heart leapt at his statement and the two hurried hand in hand to meet the others.
"Rangers, Dark Spectre has sent Talon down to Angel Grove Park. You must go right away." Deca declared.
"Right." Andros agreed. "Ashley you stay here, the rest of us will go fight Talon." HE announced firmly. The fact that she didn't argue was not lost on the other rangers. But before they could further decipher Andros's decision, the red ranger called out, "Deca, six to teleport." And the six disappeared in colored streams of light. Ashley sank back into a chair.
"Be careful." She whispered to her teammates as she closed her eyes to fight off the nauseous feeling.
A video transmission interrupted her brief nap. A sinking feeling hit her as she waited for it to connect with main screen on the mega ship. A glowering image of Dark Spectre appeared suddenly. Alert, she sat up in the chair and was horrified at the next image that appeared. Behind him, wrapped in chains and tied to a pole was a human being, who was being held captive. As the camera zoomed in, Ashley realized with horror it was her brother Jeff.
"He knows." She said aloud. "Dark Spectre knows about the baby." She mumbled to herself in disbelief. Her worst fears were coming true.
"Yellow ranger, If you want your brother back alive, you will meet me on Phaedos and turn yourself over." Dark Spectre declared smugly. "Failure to do so in an hour will result in a long, tortuous death for him."
The video shut off suddenly as Ashley was faced with a terrible decision. She couldn't let her brother die, buts he knew that she would be captured and used as bait to capture and destroy Andros.
She never had a more difficult decision to make in her life. Give up her brother and ultimately give her fiancé over to Dark Spectre. Following her gut instinct that had proven wise time and again, she quickly teleported to Phaedos, ready to surrender. She only could hope that Andros would come up with a solution to the mess they now find themselves.