Disclaimer: Power Rangers isn't mine, Ashley's stupid boyfriend is.
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Of course Ashley's going to make everything all right again! Or at least, as all right as she can.
Mz. Daydream: If you mean what I think you do by cost, then no, that's not happening this time, sorry. :P Of course, that doesn't mean Ashley can't go get his morpher back for him...
hmmart: Thanks, here's more.
Funky In Fishnet: He'll be all right, after awhile.
Isinha: Cosmos and Lyra will stick around for a long time, but they'll get what's coming to them sooner or later.
Star Fata: All that should happen eventually. :P
Jenny: Yay, you wrote more:P And why are you still surprised that you guessed most of it!
Juzblue: Yeah, kinda cool, but I'm thinking Andros didn't see it that way. :P
the-power-of-love: Here ya go.
Chapter 16
It was late now, but the streets of Angel Grove were far from empty. Ashley hugged her jacket closer to her body as she moved quickly between the small crowds in front of the movie theaters and nightclubs. She kept her eyes peeled for Andros, though she would have been completely surprised to find him here. Ashley honestly had no idea what she was doing looking for him among the crowds, but as silly as it seemed, she almost thought she could sense him nearby.
She kept walking, and the noise of people chattering and laughing slowly faded away to a distant hum from somewhere far away. The night breeze was chilly now, and though Ashley wrapped her arms completely around herself, she seemed to be shivering all over.
Ashley glanced over her shoulder on instinct, feeling someone's eyes trained on her back. Suddenly realizing that wearing shorts at this time of night was far from brilliant, she tapped at her communicator, silently cursing Deca for refusing to simplify things and just tell her where Andros was hiding.
"Deca, I need to find him," she insisted. "Can't you please just tell me?"
"Andros ordered that his location not be revealed," Deca replied patiently. "If you wish to find him, I suggest you contact him."
"I did contact him," Ashley retorted, knowing that there was nothing Deca would do, but finding the opportunity to vent her frustration a welcome one. "He's not exactly in the mood to answer his communicator."
"I am sorry," Deca said. "But I-"
"Can't tell me where he is," Ashley finished. "I know."
With a heavy sigh, she paused, staring at her surroundings thoughtfully. Not far from here was the alley where their earlier battle against Cosmos and Lyra had taken place. Ashley frowned.
"Deca, can you-"
"Ashley!"
Her pulse spiked sharply as she was grabbed from behind. She twisted herself loose and kicked hard without thinking, the fact that her attacker knew her name registering later.
"What's wrong with you?" Ben demanded, rubbing at his shoulder. "Who'd you think it was?"
"What's wrong with you?" she retorted, her heart still racing. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on people like that?"
"You should know my voice by now," he insisted. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Andros," she said impatiently, unable to think of a way to get rid of him quickly. "Have you seen him?"
"Andros?" Ben repeated. "What do you want with Skunk Boy?"
"Have you seen him?" Ashley repeated. "I need to find him fast."
"Why?" Ben demanded. "What do you need him for?"
Ashley barely managed to keep in her growl of frustration and settled for rolling her eyes up at the night sky. "He... his mother is sick. I need to find him."
"Can't it wait until morning?"
"No, it can't wait," Ashley snapped. "I have to go now."
"Ashley..." Ben grabbed at her arm before she had the chance to step away. "You shouldn't go looking for him."
"And why not?" she demanded, wrenching her arm free. "You saw him, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Ben admitted. "He went down one of those alleys."
"That's what I thought," Ashley muttered to herself. "Thanks."
"You can't go," Ben insisted. "How do you know he's not one of those guys that hang out in alleys and-"
"He's not going to hurt me," Ashley assured him, quickly growing irritated with his refusal to let her alone. "Ben, I'll call you later. I have to go talk to him now."
Ben opened his mouth, closed it, and glared at her. "Fine," he grumbled.
Ashley took off down the street, not sparing him a backward glance as she sprinted for the alley where the fight had been. She halted just inside, letting her eyes grow used to the new darkness.
"Andros?" she called softly. "Where are you?"
There was no answer, but as her eyes adjusted, she spotted the telltale flash of red just over to her right. He didn't speak, or do so much as twitch as she sank down alongside of him, but when Ashley laid her hand gently on his arm, she found herself wrapped up in his arms so tightly she was gasping for breath.
"Andros," she gasped, feeling the air forced from her lungs. Squirming, she managed to get her own arms around him, and she held him without a word, waiting patiently for him to speak.
"Deca told you where to find me, didn't she?" he said finally, his voice dull.
"No," she said quietly. "I guessed."
"Oh," he muttered. "You don't have to be here."
"I know." Ashley paused. "Andros, your father..."
"He's dead," Andros said calmly. "I know. Deca told me."
"Yeah," she said awkwardly. Not knowing what else she could say, and not wanting to say the wrong thing, she fell silent once again, stroking his hair absently.
Andros shifted within her arms, trembling suddenly. "He's dead," he mumbled softly. "Dead."
Ashley bit down hard on her lower lip, her heart breaking for him as comprehension dawned. "Andros," she whispered. "Andros, listen to me."
"He'd dead," he whispered again. "My mother, is she..."
"She's still alive," Ashley said quietly. "Karone's with her. If you wanted to-"
"No," he said, his voice wavering slightly. "I can't go back there, Ashley."
"You don't have to," she assured him, rubbing small circles between his shoulder blades.
"I can't go back there," he repeated, the wobbling of his voice noticeable now. "I can't. I caused this."
"No," Ashley told him firmly. "This is not your fault, Andros."
He shook his head violently. "It is."
"No," she said gently. "Andros-"
"It is," he insisted, finally pulling away.
"No, Andros," she said sternly. "You didn't cause this."
"But..."
"No," she repeated. "Blaming yourself won't make you feel better."
Andros lowered his head, mumbling something Ashley couldn't quite hear, but she could guess well enough what it was. He was still trembling, and his eyes were squeezed shut. With a sigh, she shifted, holding him closer.
"It's all right to cry, you know," she murmured, stroking his hair. "It'll help if you do."
"I can't," he whispered, though Ashley was fairly certain she saw a tear or two run down his cheeks.
"Why not?" she demanded. "Crying doesn't make you any less strong."
"I can't," he repeated, his voice so helpless that Ashley understood.
"You don't know how to," she realized. He nodded slowly, and she sighed, pulling him closer. "Just relax, Andros," she whispered. "Stop fighting."
She heard his breath hitch as he exhaled and held onto him, rubbing gently at his back and shoulders with her hands. His body was limp against hers a moment later, as all the tears he had never shed won their way out.
Tears washed down his face as he cried silently, his mouth open in a noiseless scream of anguish. Ashley held him wordlessly, rocking him back and forth. He was clinging to her again, his arms locked around her midsection tight enough to make her see stars.
Carefully loosening his grip just enough to reach her left wrist, Ashley tapped at her communicator, teleporting them both directly into his room on the Megaship. Andros didn't seem to notice the change of scenery, nor did he protest as she tugged his jacket off. Ashley pushed him down gently, wrapping her arms around him once more as he slowly cried himself to sleep.
