Disclaimer: Power Rangers is the property of Disney. Not me.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: I told you, sims Ashley and Andros just need to try harder. :D

Chylea3784: That's a good word for it. But on the plus side, Andros gets to comfort her.

Juzblue: I hate them too:P

C.C.C: No, he knows that Ashley loves him no matter what her parents think. And if he didn't know, there's no way she'd let him think that way for long. :P

Just Jill: It didn't occur to me until I was writing the chapter. I just needed an excuse for Ashley to end up disowned, but at some point I'll have a story where I can mess with the alien/human thing.

Jenny: That's because your stories are happy. :P I will write a story someday where we like Ashley's parents! Really...

Melissa: Grr... It's supposed to be "they're." You should spell-check everything for me. :P

Chapter 3

Andros opened his eyes the next morning to find Ashley wrapped up in his arms. He smiled to find her right where she belonged, the expression fading away as he took in the fresh tears that stained her face.

He sighed, knowing that she must have woken up again. Berating himself for not waking up along with her, Andros tightened the hold he had on her, absently stroking her soft hair with one hand, wondering if she regretted her decision.

The anger had been long gone from her eyes when she'd shown up on the Megaship the night before, replaced by a constant stream of tears. She'd practically fallen into his arms, and though he could guess what had happened, it had taken him quite awhile to work the story out of her.

Andros couldn't help but feel sharp, strong pangs of guilt as he gazed down at her tearstained face. He'd known that her parents hadn't exactly loved him, and he hadn't been exactly fond of them either, but maybe if he'd tried a little harder, for Ashley's sake...

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Ashley whispered, feeling him jump as he realized she was awake. "Stop thinking so loud."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, hugging her close.

"I know you are," she whispered. "But Andros, none of this was your fault. My parents made me choose... and I chose you."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm glad you did," he offered softly.

"I think it does, a little," Ashley said finally. "It just would have been nice not having to."

Not knowing how to respond, Andros kept quiet, smoothing her hair back from her face. Finding his touch more soothing than any words he could have said, Ashley nuzzled herself closer to the warmth his body offered her, strangely calm.

"Thank you," she said softly. "For holding me."

Andros hugged her closer in response, his arms encircling her in a grip meant to tell her he was never going to let her go. Ashley buried her face in his chest, never wanting him to.

"Ashley," he whispered, drawing back just far enough to plant soft kisses across her cheek. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'm okay," she muttered, letting the air out of her lungs. "You can go if you want."

"I'm not going anywhere," Andros said firmly. As if to prove his point, he squeezed her hard, telling her, "And you're not okay."

"I will be," she said after a pause. "My parents and I... we haven't gotten along that great for a long time. I probably won't even miss them..."

Her face crumpled even as she spoke, tears running silently out of her eyes. Wordlessly, Andros tightened his arms around her, rocking her back and forth as the he felt the front of his shirt dampen with her tears. With one hand, he gently stroked her hair, waiting patiently for her body to cease shuddering before speaking.

"Do you... want to go back to them?" he couldn't keep himself from asking. "Maybe just to say goodbye?"

"No." Ashley swallowed hard. "There wouldn't be a point. They've already said goodbye to me. As far as they're concerned, they've only got Jeff now."

"I'm sorry, Ash," he said softly, truly meaning the words. He knew all too well how much it hurt to lose both parents, but sensed that Ashley was hurting far worse than he had, because her parents were still living.

"Don't be," she whispered, calming herself with deep, shaky breaths. "This wasn't your fault, Andros. If they can't accept that I love you, that's their problem, not ours."

"I love you too, Ash," he murmured.

"I should get up now," she mumbled, swiping angrily at her eyes. Andros caught her hand and dried her tears himself, gently wiping her cheeks with the hem of the sheet.

"You don't have to," he said, more than willing to lie in bed with her for the remainder of the day.

"But I should," she pointed out, struggling into a sitting position. Andros sat up as well, drawing her into his lap when she made no move to climb out of bed. He felt Ashley's body relax against his own even as her voice protested, "I've got too much to do today."

"Like what?"

"Like finding a place to live, for a start," she said. "And then I'll need a job to pay the rent for an apartment... and a second job, since I doubt my parents are going to pay for my college anymore. And then I've got a class in an hour."

"Ashley..." Andros watched her with a frown. "You want to work two jobs and go to college at the same time?"

"Of course I don't want to," she said. "But I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Let me help you," he pleaded suddenly, knowing instantly that Ashley was going to work herself to death just to prove that she could survive on her own.

"Andros, I... how?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But you can't do this on your own, Ash."

"I can," she insisted, her tone half-hearted at best.

"But you shouldn't." Andros smoothed some stray curls of hair out of her eyes, his hand trailing gently across her skin to run small circles along the back of her neck. "Ash... you've been in college for two weeks, and already you've got too much work. You don't have time for even one job."

"Andros..." Ashley started, stopped, and sighed, having no choice but to admit, if only to herself, that he was right. "What are you saying?"

"You could live here," he suggested quietly, not quite meeting her eye. He didn't have to look to know that she was staring at him, too stunned to speak, and though he now regretted uttering the words, he could neither take them back nor deny that he didn't want her in his arms every night for a long, long time.

Finally being completely honest with himself, Andros could admit that something had drawn him to Ashley Hammond the moment he'd laid eyes on her, the same something that he had tried to deny for months, even after the gradual wearing down of all the walls he had built up over the years.

And now... Ashley had told him rather shyly that it felt to her as though he was a part of herself, and although he'd choked on the words, Andros knew that he loved her more than life itself and if he were to lose her, his life would become mere existence.

He'd come so close to telling her all this the morning when he had first woken to find her in his arms, but when Deca had interrupted, his courage had vanished, and he doubted that he'd ever find it again.

"Ash?" he said softly, his voice wavering inaudibly. She hadn't spoken, hadn't even moved since he'd let the words slip out of his mouth.

"Are you... asking me to live with you?" Ashley finally managed to ask.

Andros nodded wordlessly.

"Not just live here?" Ashley continued, just to be sure she had it right. Her fingers grasped his chin and forced his eyes to meet hers. "But live with you?"

Andros nodded again, uncertainty filling out his features. "I'll understand if you don't want to," he said, his voice a shaky whisper. "But... I love you, Ash."

"I know you do," she told him, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "I love you too, Andros. More than anything. But... this... is really sudden."

"I know." Andros glanced down at his hands before muttering, "I just - "

"Hey, I didn't say no," Ashley interrupted quickly, knowing that it had taken almost more courage than he had to make the suggestion in the first place.

A shaky smile appeared on Andros's face. "You didn't?"

"No," she said firmly. "I just didn't say yes... Can I think about it?"

"Yes," he whispered, his arms tightening around her waist. The sweet scent of her shampoo calmed his nerves and he buried his face in her soft hair, saying nothing as he let the pounding of his heart slow. Deciding it wouldn't be wise to force the issue, he resolved to let Ashley be the one who brought the subject up, whenever she was ready.

And besides that, he doubted he had the nerve to ask her again anyway.

Ashley smiled suddenly, leaning up to press her mouth to his, feeling him relax as their lips met sweetly. Wondering what exactly it was that she wanted to think about, she told him, "I'll tell you tonight."