Disclaimer: Power Rangers still isn't mine.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: You should really love this. :D

Jenny: No, don't be depressed! And if there's anything left, you can kill David after you read the next chapter. :P

Billie-Tracy: Andros and Ashley have always been my favorites.

Just Jill: I've finally worked out an ending that's not quite as bad as what I originally had in mind (and doesn't require everyone to suspend disbelief) but it's still going to be hard for them.

Chapter 18

"Ashley!" Cassie exclaimed, flinging her arms around her friend the moment the door opened. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I know." Ashley sighed, hugging the other girl hard. "My fault."

Cassie said nothing, but when she pulled back, Ashley found herself the recipient of a long, searching glance.

"You didn't have to avoid us, you know," she said finally. "We would have been there for you. We're still here for you. For both of you."

"I know," Ashley mumbled, shifting guiltily. "I'm sorry."

"Ash, I didn't mean..." Cassie sighed and shook her head. "Come on, get in here."

"So... How've you been, Cass?" she asked awkwardly, suddenly realizing how long it had been since she had even talked to her best friend.

"I've been all right," Cassie replied vaguely, tossing her dark hair off of her shoulders as she sat.

"Famous yet?" Ashley asked with a grin.

"Nah," Cassie said with a shake of her head. "I've had a few jobs, but nothing exciting. You?"

"I..."

"How are you, Ash?" she asked quietly. "How are you really?"

"I think I'm all right," Ashley said finally. "I'm better than I was, anyway. It's just... hard."

Cassie nodded. "And Andros?"

Ashley winced. "He doesn't know how to grieve, Cass. He was asking for help and I just... I just kept hurting him so much more than he already was."

"You've been fighting a lot?"

Ashley shook her head, throat too tight for words.

"Ash?" Cassie asked, alarmed at the sudden tears in her friend's eyes.

"I'm such an idiot, Cass," she whispered. "He was hurting so much, and I didn't do anything. I didn't even care. I was venting everything off on him, and he never said anything. He never shouted back. He never told me to stop. He never said anything..."

Ashley swallowed hard. "He told me he knew I wished that he'd waited, to see if I was strong enough to wake up on my own. He thought I wanted him to leave, because he hadn't."

"Did you?" Cassie asked quietly, shifting to wrap her arms around Ashley.

"I... don't know," she admitted, feeling horrible just for the thought. "Maybe I did, for a few minutes, but the look on his face when he said it... I can't believe I was that horrible to him, Cassie."

"Does he know how you feel?"

"Yeah." Ashley sighed. "We talked all day yesterday. I keep hoping that we'll be all right, but there's no way we can tell, and I... I'm scared."

"You should be," Cassie said, hugging her hard. "But I still think you and Andros belong together, Ash."

"I hope you're right, Cass," she whispered. "I need him, and I love him, and I'm so afraid that I'll come home one day and he'll be gone."

"I know you, Ash, and you're not gonna let that happen." Cassie paused. "Ash, this really is none of my business - "

"That's never stopped you before," Ashley murmured, trying hard to grin. Cassie made a face at her, and a small, watery giggle escaped her throat.

"Ash, what did he tell you?" Cassie asked slowly. "About when you were in the coma, I mean."

"He told me..." Ashley closed her eyes for a moment, straining to remember. She swallowed hard as Andros's heartbroken expression came back to her. "He told me that my heart stopped beating. They brought me back, but the doctors said I wasn't going to wake up because of the baby. Why?"

Cassie hesitated. "You said that Andros said that he should have waited to see if you'd come out of it on your own?"

Ashley nodded.

"Ash, he did wait," Cassie told her quietly. "He waited until it was almost too late, and they kept telling him that they didn't think they'd be able to bring you back again - "

"Again?" she repeated dimly. "They brought me back twice?"

"No." Cassie shook her head, tears filling her own eyes. "Your heartbeat was so erratic... The doctors kept telling Andros that if he didn't hurry up and let them abort the pregnancy, it would be to late to save you. Ash, he didn't want to do it. He was begging you to wake up, just pleading with you for days, and then your heart skipped a few beats... He thought he'd killed you."

"Oh god..." Ashley closed her eyes, tears trickling slowly down her cheeks. "I don't deserve him, Cassie."

"You do," her friend insisted immediately. "Don't do this to yourself, Ash, not when you just said the two of you were doing better."

"But..." Ashley stared at her helplessly. "Why'd you tell me this for? I felt horrible enough already!"

"Because you should know," Cassie said firmly. "So the next time you have any doubts, you'll know that Andros didn't want to do any of this. You're everything to him, Ash. Everything. Just... know that, and the next time you're tempted to yell or scream, remember it."

Tears still leaking out of her eyes, Ashley nodded slowly, hugging her hard. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Cassie whispered, swiping at her eyes. "Don't hide from us anymore, Ash, all right?"

"I promise," she murmured, carefully prying Cassie's arms from her neck. "I have to go."

Cassie smiled knowingly. "Go looking for Andros?"

Ashley nodded. "I'll see you later."

"Always." Cassie smiled. "Good luck."