Disclaimer: If we all agree that I own nothing, can I stop with the disclaimers already?

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: This actually is soon! Sorta. :P

Jenny: Don't be depressed! Be happy! I'll write you a being happy story:D (How annoying do I sound?) You are crazy. But we all knew that. If Ashley's left you anything, you can kill David now. :P

Just Jill: She did, and now they can be happy again.

Chapter 19

Andros glanced at the clock as he traded his work clothes for his pajamas. It was nearly ten-thirty, and Ashley still wasn't home. Alarm welled up within him for a moment before he remembered that she'd mentioned something about seeing Cassie. It was a twenty minute drive both ways, and he knew that the two of them hadn't talked in nearly a month.

Telling himself sternly that there was nothing he should be worried about, Andros crawled into bed and settled back against the pillows to wait for her. Their bed was far too large without her in it, and there was no way he was going to fall asleep without her in his arms.

He glanced down at his left hand and sighed. His thumb slowly ran along the edge of his wedding ring as his thought turned, inevitably, to Ashley. He smiled sadly down at his hands, unsure of how to feel any longer. Things had been calm and fairly easy the last few days, but he couldn't help but feel as though he should be tense, waiting for her to explode.

Andros shook his head with another sigh. Ashley was everything, and without her, he wasn't sure he could go on living. He just wished that he had the words to tell her so.

He glanced up in surprise as the doorbell sounded. No one had mentioned anything about coming over, and Ashley had her key... The bell rang again, and Andros sighed, dragging himself out of the warmth and comfort of his bed, deciding that Ashley had probably forgotten her key.

Andros shivered as he opened the door, the night air chilly. Much to his surprise, it wasn't Ashley that stood there, but a man a few years older than himself.

"Hello," he said slowly, wondering who this man was and what he was doing on his doorstep. "Can I help you?"

"Is Ashley here?"

"No," he said after a brief pause, now wondering what this man could possibly want with his wife this late at night. "I could have her call you later, but I don't know when she'll be home."

"You're her husband, right?"

"I'm Andros," he said. When the man on his doorstep made no move to introduce himself, he added, "And you are?"

"My name's David," the man said after a pause. He hesitated. "Did Ashley tell you about me?"

"I don't think so," Andros said slowly. "Should she have?"

"Well, no," David admitted. "I just kinda hoped she would."

"She could have," Andros offered, uneasy with the entire conversation. "I might have forgotten."

"You should listen to her," David advised him.

Andros frowned, now certain that something was wrong. "How did you say you know Ashley?"

"I didn't say," David informed him. "And it's none of your business, really."

Andros raised an eyebrow. "It's ten-thirty at night and you're on my doorstep looking for my wife."

"That doesn't give you the right to intrude on her personal life," David insisted.

Andros sighed. He was sorely tempted to slam the door in David's face and go back to bed, but if he chose to do so, he didn't doubt that this man would still be waiting on his doorstep when Ashley finally got home, and he wasn't about to let that happen.

"Ash?" he thought at her. "Who's David?"

---

Ashley pulled up into the driveway, slamming the car door shut hard enough to send the sound reverberating through the entire neighborhood. She stormed up the walk, tapping the man on her doorstep hard on the shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "How'd you know I live here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," David insisted. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" she repeated increduously. "You followed me home! I thought I told you we shouldn't see each other anymore."

"You followed her home?" Andros was suddenly very menacing, and Ashley nearly laughed at David's sudden alarm.

"I didn't follow anyone!" he exclaimed, finally backing off of the doorstep.

"Then how'd you get here?" Ashley demanded.

"My sister's friend is in your design class," he admitted. "Your name and number were on the class roster, and your address was in the phone book."

Unable to help himself, Andros slipped an arm around Ashley's waist, pulling her close to him without a second thought. It certainly sounded to him that this guy was stalking her.

"David, I think you should go home now," Ashley said firmly, edging closer to Andros.

"Look, all I wanted to do was apologize," he insisted. "Last time we talked, I said some things... that I guess I shouldn't have said."

"Yeah," Ashley agreed cooly, her fingers tightening on Andros's arm. "You definitely did."

"Yeah, well, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Ashley sighed. "If I accept your apology, will you please go home?"

"Yeah, sure," David agreed.

"Then I accept your apology," Ashley said heavily. "Now, please go home, David. It's late, and I'm cold."

"Would you have lunch with me tomorrow?"

"No," she snapped. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"I think Ashley told you to go home," Andros cut in, grasping David firmly by the arm. "You can walk down to the sidewalk without help, can't you?"

"Let me go," David snapped, twisting away angrily. "Don't touch me!"

"Then go," Andros said calmly. "You came to talk to Ashley and you got what you wanted. Now, go home and stay away from her."

"I'm going," he insisted. "You didn't need to do that."

"I think I did," Andros said cooly. "And if you don't leave now, I think I'll have to do more."

"That's how you solve everything, isn't it? There was no accident, was there?" David accused, rubbing at the marks Andros's hand had left on his arm. "She was in the hospital because you beat her, wasn't she? You had to marry her, and then you changed your mind about the baby, so you beat it out of her. You killed - "

Andros had felt Ashley move past him halfway though David's little rant, but it took him a moment to realize that the loud snap that followed was Ashley slapping him full across the face. The force of the blow sent David reeling, and Ashley stood over him, her glare harsher than anything Andros had ever seen.

"Don't you ever call my husband a murderer," she growled, her eyes cold and icy. "You are going to go home now, David, and if you ever try to talk to me, I won't let you off easy again. Do you understand?"

She turned and strode calmly past Andros into the house, her hand slipping into his. Too stunned to do anything but let her pull him into the house, he simply stared at her as she slammed the door, locked it, and flipped on their alarm.

"Just in case he comes back," she said with a small shrug. "I don't think he will, but if he does... Let's just say I'd rather have some warning."

Andros was still staring at her. "I've never seen you like this before."

"No one's ever told me you murdered our child before," Ashley retorted. "What did you think I was going to do?"

"I don't know," he admitted, relaxing as her expression softened.

"I love you, Andros," she murmured, slipping her arms around his neck and holding him tight. "I know you wouldn't hurt me, and no one can say that you do and not pay for it."

"I love you too, Ash," he whispered. "And... thanks."

"Anytime," she said, faintly amused. She smiled as she slipped her hand back into his, tugging gently on his arm. "Come on, let's go to bed. It's late, and I'm tired."

Andros smiled back and followed her up the stairs, his heart lighter than it had been in months. He squeezed her fingers hard, somehow knowing that they would be all right from now on.