Chapter 10: Still Existing Pain

Andros woke up with his wife in his arms. A smile came across his face as he placed a kiss on her cheek and then placed a kiss on her neck. Ashley woke up and giggled when she felt his feather like kisses going down her neck. "Andros…don't," she giggled.

"How come?" He asked.

"Apollo and Solana will come in at any minute to wake me up," she replied.

"Lock the door."

Ashley laughed and pushed him back when he kissed her neck. "Andros," she laughed. They sat up when there was a knock on the door.

"Mom can we come in?" Solana asked.

Ashley pushed Andros back again. "Yes," she replied. Apollo and Solana came in with smiles on their faces.

"Mom, Andreas and Astra are here," Apollo informed.

"Oh! That's right," she murmured.

"What?"

Andros sat up in disbelief. "I had called Andreas and Astra to come over this morning last night," she informed.

"When were you going to tell me this?" He asked.

"Whoops," Ashley replied.

"Should we tell them that daddy's home?" Solana asked.

"No! Keep that a surprise," Ashley replied.

The twins nodded before running out of the room. Andros got out of bed and pulled on his clothes. Ashley winced when he turned his back to her and she saw all the whip scars on his back. "I know they're gruesome," he commented. She got up from the bed and walked up behind him and took the shirt from his hands. Andros was about to ask her what she was doing when he felt her hands start tracing the scars on his back. Andros closed his eyes and tried to push back all the horrible memories that those scars carried.

(Flashback)

Andros cried out in pain when he felt the whip connect to his back. "Now…tell me Red Ranger, where are the Children of the Sun?" Dorjan demanded. Andros looked at him.

"I told you I don't know what you're talking about and even if I did know where they were I wouldn't tell," Andros snapped.
"LIAR!" Dorjan shouted.

Andros cried out in pain again when the whip connected to his back. Dorjan stood in front him and sneered at Andros. Andros's eyes widened when he saw the dagger in Dorjan's hand. "You have no idea what I'm capable of doing," he threatened.

"You can kill me but it wouldn't get you anywhere," Andros answered.

Andros closed his eyes when the dagger came dangerously close to his face. "Remember, Andros, you're already having a hard time seeing out of the eye because of this," he sneered. Andros glared at him. "Now tell me where the Children of the Sun are," he demanded.

"I told you I don't know what you're talking about," Andros answered.

Andros felt the dagger get drug from his temple to his chin. He tried to lift his legs to kick the evil man away, but his legs were chained to the floor as well as his arms chained to the ceiling. "STOP!" Andros shouted.

"Then tell me where the yare," he demanded.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Andros shouted.

(End Flashback)

Andros opened his eyes and pulled on his shirt. "Andros?" Ashley asked. Andros looked over at her. Ashley walked over and placed her hand on his face. He knew that she felt his pain. "He's gone now," she murmured.

"Yeah…but for how long?" He asked.

Ashley sighed and held his hand. "We have two Ranger children watching out for him," she assured him. Andros nodded his head slightly before kissing her. Ashley kissed him back before letting him go. "Come on, we have two kids waiting for you," she informed. Andros nodded with a smile.

Andreas held his wife's hand and Astra looked up when Ashley came down the stairs. "Mom, is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. There's someone here that I know you'd want to see," Ashley replied.

Andreas looked up just as Andros came down the stairs. Astra stood up with a gasp. "Daddy?" She asked. Andros smiled at his two oldest kids.

"One and only," he replied.

Astra hurried over and hugged him tight. Andros hugged her back and lifted his daughter off the floor not caring that she wasn't the nine-year-old girl he had left behind ten years ago. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too," he answered.

Andreas stood up and he hugged his dad with a smile on his face. Andros hugged his son back before pulling back and placed his hands on his their faces. "Look at you two. The last time I saw you, you two were eleven and nine," he commented. He was in disbelief to see them all grown up.

"Dad, there's someone I want you to meet," Andreas informed.

Andreas walked over and had his wife stand up. "Dad, this is my wife, Kellan. Kellan, this is my father, Andros," he informed. Andros smiled as he shook Kellan's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Kellan," Andros stated.

"It's an honor to meet you. Andreas has told me so much about you," Kellan answered.

"All lies I'm sure," Andros answered while smiling at his son.

Ashley stood back with a smile as Andros was reunited with their two oldest kids. However, as she looked at Andros, she noticed that some of the light had come back into his eyes, but not much. The Andros she once knew was still missing in there and she wanted to bring him out. She couldn't help but want him back. Sure it's only been a day and a half since his return, but she just wanted to heal him from all the pain that Dorjan put him through during the past ten years.

Later that afternoon, Ashley and Astra were talking when they looked over and saw Andros asleep with Apollo sleeping on one side of him and Solana on the other side. A smile came across Ashley's face. "It's so good to have dad back," Astra commented. Ashley nodded.

"It is," she agreed.

Ashley watched Andros sleep and let out a sigh.