Chapter 14: Life Changing News

Ashley let out a sigh as Cassie had her lie down on the infirmary bed. "Ready?" She asked. Ashley nodded her head.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ashley replied.

Cassie took a scanner and ran it over Ashley's stomach. Ashley let out a sigh wondering why she was feeling so awful. Cassie stopped the scan and pushed a few buttons for the results. Her eyes widened. "What? What is it?" Ashley asked. Cassie looked at her best friend.

"Ash…you're not going to believe this, but you're pregnant," she replied.

Ashley sat up in shock. "What! I can't be," Ashley insisted. Cassie nodded and showed her the scanner.

"Scanners don't lie," Cassie answered.

Ashley stared at the scanner and she couldn't move because she was in shock. "I--I can't have a baby," she insisted. Cassie sighed. "But I won't kill it, but it's too soon, Cass. It's way too soon. Andros and I were going to try after Dark Specter was gone," Ashley reminded.

"Well, were you on the pill?" Cassie asked.

Ashley bit her lip and shook her head. "And it's obvious that you two didn't use protection," Cassie commented. Ashley looked at Cassie confused.

"If I was on the pill, I wouldn't be in this situation either," she pointed out.

"Not exactly, sometimes the pill doesn't work," Cassie answered.

Ashley let out a sigh and she placed her head in her hands. "I can't be pregnant…I just can't be," she whispered. Cassie placed a hand on her shoulder and Ashley let out a sigh. "I…I don't know what to do," she murmured. Cassie sighed.

"For one thing, you have to tell Andros," she pointed out.

"You're right…" Ashley mumbled.

Ashley got off the infirmary table and went to find her husband.

Andros was on the bridge when Ashley came in. "Hey, Andros," she called. Andros looked up from his work and walked over to her.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah…yeah, I have to tell you something though," she replied.

Just then, DECA's alarms went off. "What is it, DECA?" Andros asked.

"The Psycho Rangers are attacking downtown Angel Grove," DECA replied.

Ashley followed them to the jump tubes, ignoring the look on Cassie's face as they jumped through the jump tubes.

The Psycho Rangers stood there. "You destroyed Psycho Pink, but we can defeat the rest of you," Psycho Red snapped.

"You can try," Andros answered.

They started to fight the Psycho Rangers. Psycho Yellow grabbed Ashley's arm forcing her to her knees. "I know your little secret, Yellow Ranger," Psycho Yellow laughed. Ashley's eyes widened in fear when Psycho Yellow picked her up and she saw that she was about to hit her stomach.

"ASHLEY!" Cassie shouted.

"DON'T!" Ashley shouted at Psycho Yellow.

She tricked kicking the Psycho Ranger away from her, but the Psycho Ranger kicked Ashley square in the stomach and then she threw the Yellow Ranger across the room. Ashley hit the nearest wall, de-morphed, and then everything went dark. "ASHLEY!" Andros shouted. Cassie ran over to her fallen friend and looked up when the other Rangers were thrown off their feet.

"We've done what we came to do," Psycho Red laughed.

"Let's go," Psycho Blue agreed.

They disappeared and Andros ran over to Ashley. He threw his helmet off and kneeled by her. "Ashley, Ashley answer me," he nearly begged. He saw something on her uniform and touched it. He lifted his hand up and his eyes widened in shock, it was blood. "We have to get back to the Megaship," Andros insisted. He picked Ashley up and they got back to the Megaship.

Andros set Ashley down on the medical bed and ran a scanner over her. "Andros, wait," Cassie called. She had her helmet under her arm as she ran into the infirmary. "Put the scanner down, Andros. She hasn't been that badly injured," she informed. Andros set the scanner down and looked at her. Cassie bit her lip. "She was trying to tell you before the Psychos attacked…" she trailed off.

"What did Ashley want to tell me?" He asked.

Tears fell down her face. "Oh God, Andros! Ashley was pregnant. Psycho Yellow's attack on her stomach must've made her miscarry," Cassie replied. Andros's heart sank and he suddenly felt sick. Andros looked over at his unconscious wife before looking back at Cassie. "She had just found out and she was going to tell you," she told him. Andros let out a sigh.

"Thanks, Cass. Um…can I be alone with her?" He asked.
"Yeah, of course," she replied.

Andros went to get Ashley another set of clothes and changed her while she was unconscious. He then stood there watching her and when she came to, he stood up. "Ashley," he whispered. Ashley looked to her side at Andros.

"Andros…what happened?" She asked.

"The Psycho Rangers had attacked. Psych Yellow hit you pretty hard," he replied.

Ashley sat up. "Oh God! Andros…the baby!" She gasped. Andros shook his head slowly.

"It didn't make it," he answered sadly.

Ashley shook her head. "You're lying," she insisted.

"I wish I was," he replied.

The tears fell down her face and she hit him. "YOU'RE LYING TO ME! YOU'RE LYING!" She screamed. She got up and went to leave when Andros grabbed her arms.

"Ashley, listen to me. I wish I was lying, but I'm not. There is no baby, Psycho Yellow killed it. The baby is gone, Ashley," he answered.

Ashley struggled against his grasp with the tears falling down her face. She hit his chest and pushed him back in attempt to get him to let her go. Andros wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. She continued to struggle a bit more, but then she finally stopped and she cried against his chest. "You're lying, you're lying," she sobbed. Andros held onto her and the other Rangers stood there. They heard Ashley screaming at Andros and came running. Andros gestured for them to go. TJ nodded and they left them alone.

Later that evening, Andros came onto the bridge with the stone cold look on his face. Cassie looked up at him. "How's Ashley?" She asked. Andros let out a sigh.

"She finally fell asleep," he replied.

Cassie jumped when he threw his data pad across the room. "Why us, Cass? Why does it have to be us? Why can't we just be left alone?" He asked. Andros sat down and lowered his head. Cassie placed a hand on his shoulder.

"These things just happen," she replied.

Andros shook his head. "Mine and Ashley's baby wasn't killed because she wasn't healthy," he stated. He stood up. "Our child was murdered," he added. Cassie watched him leave the bridge.

"Andros, where are you going?" She asked.

"Out," he replied.

Andros went through his jump tube and went down to Earth.

Andros walked around the park with the anger on his face. "PSYCHO RED! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! YOU PLANNED THIS! ALL OF THIS! NEXT TIME I SEE YOU YOU'LL BE THE NEXT DESTROYED!" He shouted. Andros punched the nearest tree. "YOU'RE MURDERERS! YOU'RE ALL MURDERERS!" He shouted.

(Dark Fortress)

Psycho Red watched Andros with an evil laugh. "We shall see who'll be the next destroyed," he laughed.