Disclaimer: Not mine.
TrueRomantic: Well, Andros's mom meets one of the rangers here...
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Yay, you killed your brain! Now you can write more. :P Oh, and remind me to ask for your help with something before I forget again. :P
C.C.C: Andros's mom meets Ashley here... If you think you know why Andros doesn't morph, you can guess. I wanna see if anyone can figure it out. :P
Juzblue: I love them too... Giving Andros nice parents is way more fun that I thought it would be. :P
Jessica01: Cool, we get to meet Andros's parents.
Jenny: I decided to see what would happen if I made his parents nice people for once. :D And people talk a little about Kadri and Zeah in this chapter. You'll find out a whole lot in about three or four chapters, I've got it all planned out. Sorta.
Mel: I wondered where you went. :P How'd guessing the password go? I think I only updated once, but I don't even remember anymore.
DV2: Here's more. While I have to admit I seriously considered it, no, Kale is not Ben.
sky's girl forever: I loved Karone so much, but I loved seeing Andros depressed and needing Ashley to make him feel better too, so I guess it was all good. :P Here's more.
hmmart: Yup, Andros's parents hang around for awhile.
Funky in Fishnet: There's a meeting in this chapter.
flowerweasly16: Yeah, he's more human now, isn't he?
Chapter10
"Karone, you and your father could use some time alone to catch up," Adya said decisively, shooting another sharp look at her son. "I want to talk to your brother."
"All right," Karone agreed, taken aback by the seriousness of her mother's tone.
"Come on, Andros," Adya said, her hand appearing on his shoulder, prodding him forward.
"Mom, I'm fine," he insisted automatically as they left the bridge behind.
Adya raised an eyebrow. "That's the one word I would not choose to describe you, Andros."
He sighed and fell silent, unable to think of a reply.
"You've changed too much since I've last seen you," she said, her hand still on his shoulder. "I want to know what's bothering you."
"Mom, I haven't seen you for two years," Andros protested quietly as his mother pushed him through the doors onto the Observatory. "There are more important things we could talk about."
"But not that we need to talk about," Adya retorted, motioning for him to sit. "I've been hearing rumors for the last two years. I want the truth, Andros, from you. What really happened?"
Andros let out a long breath, his slouching even more prominent as he sighed. Focusing his attention carefully on the carpeted floor, he sank down onto the couch beside his mother as he mumbled, "Kadri was Dark Spectre's spy."
Adya nodded sympathetically. "We'd all figured on that. Was she the only one?"
"We weren't able to find another," he said. "If there was another, we never caught them... Mom, please, I don't - "
"Andros, you can't keep this inside forever," Adya argued with a sigh. "Do you just need more time?"
Head down, Andros nodded. "When I am... ready, I'll come to you and Dad first."
"I'll hold you to that," she said finally. "And Zeah?"
Andros shook his head slowly, finding it all he could do to keep himself from wincing at the name. The sudden pain brought on by the mere mention of her name had never been this intense before. He swallowed hard, but was nearly forced to yeild to the emotional onslaught.
"You're allowed to cry, you know," Adya commented as she studied her son critically. "No one doubts your strength."
"I don't - "
Andros closed his mouth abruptly as the doors slid open, somehow not at all surprised to see who it was that practically skipped into the room.
"Hey, Andros."
Ashley greeted him brightly as always, her brown hair bouncing against her shoulders lightly as she stepped onto the Observatory. Her gaze fell on his mother, and she glanced at him curiously, though she did not ask.
"Ashley, this is my mother," he said, suppressing a sigh. "Mom, this is Ashley, the yellow ranger. She's from Earth."
"Yellow," Adya mused to herself. She shot another look at her son, but Andros had busied himself staring at his boots.
"It's nice to meet you," Ashley offered, extending her hand to the older woman. Adya shook it without hesitation, smiling warmly at the girl.
"And you," she agreed, tucking errant blond strands behind her ear as she glanced at Andros another time. He wasn't glaring at the floor any longer, though his eyes were now narrowed at Ashley.
"Well, I'll get out of your way now," Ashley said, following Andros's glare herself. "Zhane and I can go somewhere else."
"Zhane?" Andros repeated, an expression Ashley didn't quite catch flitting across his face before she found him scowling once again. "What are you doing with Zhane?"
"He was going to teach me telekinesis," Ashley explained, smiling wryly. "He was going to try, anyway."
"Oh." Andros lowered his gaze, muttering, "Good luck."
Adya's smile became distinctly amused at the surprise written across Ashley's face.
"Thanks," she said slowly, watching him thoughtfully. "I'll leave you two alone, then."
"There is no need," Adya said quickly. "If you wish to be here - "
"Nah, it's all right," Ashley said with a small shrug. "Zhane and I can just - "
"Hey, Ash, are you..." Zhane froze in the doorway, blue eyes widening as they took in the third person on the Observatory. "Adya!"
She smiled at his happy exclamation, laughing as she returned his exuberant hug. "I've missed you too, Zhane."
Zhane grinned a bit sheepishly, but shrugged. "How've you been?"
"Busy," she said dryly. "And you? Karone still keeping you alive?"
Ashley giggled as Zhane actually blushed. "Well... yeah," he admitted. "But it's not like she's never in danger!"
"Of course she is in danger," Adya agreed. "But it is you who finds yourself in the most improbable situations, not Karone."
"I never..." Zhane sighed in defeat, realizing he was fighting a losing battle. "Well, I haven't for a really long time!"
Adya laughed. "That's always good to know."
Zhane made a face at her, linking his arm through Ashley's. "Come on, Ash," he said, tugging her towards the door. "I'm not going to put up with this abuse."
Adya shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I'll see you later, Zhane."
"Yeah, sure," he said with a grin, vanishing down the hall. Ashley laughed as he pulled her along, waving over her shoulder.
"She seems... very nice," Adya said, breaking the sudden silence.
Andros could only nod, overly conscious of his mother's eyes on him. Struggling not to squirm uncomfortably at the sensation of being watched, he glanced up, groaning silently at her expression of knowing amusement. He tore his eyes away, and when he found himself looking up again, the laughter was gone from her eyes.
"Andros..." Adya sighed and rejoined him on the couch. "It's been so long since I've known who you were. Would you just... let me in?"
He looked away at his mother's plea, unable to bear the sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "But I don't think I can."
"Couldn't you at least try?"
Andros swallowed hard, having been left too much of his heart to continue breaking hers. "I can try," he relented. "But... not yet."
"That's all I can ask for," Adya said, her voice soft and sad. "But really try."
"I will," he promised, daring to glance up again.
"If you don't feel like talking, how about some advice?" she asked, her tone wry once again.
He smiled tentatively. "What?"
"If all you do is glare at the poor girl, you can't be surprised when she turns to someone else."
Andros flushed guiltily, his mouth already open in protest. "I wasn't - "
"Andros, you can't possibly expect people to like you if you ignore them," Adya told him sternly, her hazel eyes amused.
"I don't expect them to."
"Things are difficult enough without you complicating them even further, you know," she said. "How hard would it be for you to just... smile?"
Andros just sighed, knowing that he would never be able to make her understand, knowing that he would never be able to make anyone understand.
Author's Note: Real life is going to demand more of my attention from now on, so I probably won't update for awhile, but I'll have chapter 11 up as soon as possible, and thanks to all of you for reviewing.
