Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. Agreed?
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Of course Ashley's the best. Andros doesn't feel like being sweet yet. :P
hmmart: You're welcome, here's more.
Mz. Daydream: I want somebody to love too! They don't quite wake up to each other this time, but soon, I promise.
Juzblue: Ben is a bigger jerk here. :P
C.C.C: No matter how much Andros might want to later on, he'll never tell Ashley she should break up with Ben. I've got that part planned, and it should be in about three or four chapters. I mean it this time. :P
the-power-of-love: Thanks, here's more.
Isinha: Here's more. I always love it when Ash is there to help him work through all the emotional stuff.
TrueRomantic: BB gets more annoying here... But Andros starts to fall for Ash, so it sort of balances out...
Chapter 17
Ashley opened her eyes slowly, her body protesting against the position she'd slept in. Her mind registered Andros a moment later, and she couldn't help the slow smile that spread across her face as she watched him sleep. Her smile faded as she saw the tears that stained his cheeks and sighed, realizing that if he hadn't woken up in tears after yet another nightmare, he'd been crying in his sleep.
With a sigh, she smoothed his hair back from his closed eyes, her hand lingering against the warmth of his cheek. She knew she had to get up soon for school, but something in her rebelled against the idea of leaving him like this. The cold shell he had encased himself in was gone now, and Ashley knew that the person who had clung to her, crying, the night before was the real Andros, the one he had locked up two years before.
Carefully prying his arms loose from her waist, Ashley eased herself out of his arms. He twitched, and she froze, not wanting to wake him. "It's all right," she murmured, shifting to brush her lips against his cheek. "Sleep, Andros."
It must have worked, for his breathing deepened once again, and Ashley was able to slip out of the bed. She paused in the doorway, still hesitant to just leave him. His expression was almost peaceful now, though, so she backed out of the room slowly, hoping that by the time he woke, Zhane and Karone would be up.
A quick shower and change of clothing later, Ashley was stumbling through the halls of Angel Grove High to her locker, struggling just to keep her eyes open. It was only now that she realized how little she'd slept the night before, and she would have been perfectly content to go about her day completely unbothered by anyone and everyone.
"Ashley!"
Her fists clenched involuntarily, and it was all she could do to force a smile. "Ben, please, not now. I'm really tired."
He said nothing as she slammed her locker closed, but the instant she turned to walk away, she found that his hand had closed around her elbow. "Ashley, what happened last night? You said you'd call me."
"I didn't say I'd call you last night," Ashley snapped, pulling herself free. "I said I'd call you later. It was almost midnight!"
"So?" he challenged. "You still should've-"
"Ben, I have a life outside of you," Ashley informed him. "Sometimes other things are more important."
"Like what?" he demanded. "What was so important about Stripey?"
"His name is Andros," she said cooly, her voice only growing colder as she added, "I'm sorry I thought comforting someone when they needed it was more important than spending the night talking to you."
"Comforting?" Ben cut in, his eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"What does it sound like?" Ashley retorted. "What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" he repeated. "What's wrong with you? You were with him all night, weren't you?"
"Yes," she said readily. "I was. And if you're not going to believe me if I tell you nothing happened, then that's your problem, not mine."
"Ashley, it doesn't work that way," Ben insisted.
"Then we have a problem," Ashley snapped. "I'm not going to just abandon my friends because you're jealous."
"Abandon him?" he repeated. "You're making it sound like he actually needs you."
"How do you know he doesn't?"
"I've seen the way he looks at you," Ben snapped. "Ashley, he doesn't need you, he just wants you."
"No," Ashley said quietly. "I think that's what you want."
"Ashley-"
"I have to go," she said, and hurried away feeling oddly relieved.
---
Andros groaned as his eyes fluttered open, something feeling out of place. He pushed himself up and frowned, his brain struggling to recall the night before.
Dimly, he could remember Ashley's arms around him, and for an instant, he thought he could still hear her voice soothing him, but he couldn't quite remember why.
It hit him hard a moment later, and he swallowed, flopping back down onto his bed. Tears pressed against his eyelids and he blinked them back furiously, no longer afraid of crying, but of being unable to stop. Taking slow, deep breaths through his mouth, Andros hid his face against the pillow, refusing to let emotion get the better of him as it had the night before.
He pulled back and eyed the pillow suspiciously, sniffing at it carefully. It smelled of sweet flowers, or maybe it was vanilla, Andros couldn't tell the difference, nor did he care. Burying his face in the pillow, he inhaled deeply, the frangrances soothing him. For a moment, he wondered if Ashley hadn't left her scent there deliberately, knowing how alone he would feel once he awoke.
He shook his head, knowing that he was being ridiculous. As... pleasant, he decided, as it could be to think about Ashley, he was doing so now only to avoid thinking of his parents.
"Andros?" Karone's voice followed a gentle rap on the door.
"Come in," he called after a moment's thought.
Karone hovered near the doorway for several minutes, her piercing cerulean eyes fixed on him. Andros glanced away only a moment after her eyes met his, but still she didn't move, and he shifted uneasily.
"Mom died this morning," she said softly.
Andros nodded. There was no judgement in her tone, yet he couldn't help but sense something reproachful about her, and swallowed, in his heart knowing that she was right. He'd barricaded himself in his room and hidden when he should have been with his family when they'd needed him.
"Karone," he whispered helplessly, forcing himself to meet her eyes. "Karone, I'm so sorry."
"This wasn't your fault," she said fiercely, coming forward to wrap her arms around his neck. Andros hugged her hard, realizing just how long it had been since he'd held his baby sister.
"Ashley said the same thing," he said suddenly.
Karone wiped at her eyes. "Do you believe us?"
"I don't know," Andros admitted, swallowing. He hesitated, adding quietly, "I don't want to think about that."
"I know," Karone soothed him.
"I miss them," he whispered, finding tears leaking slowly out of his eyes despite his efforts to stop them.
"I know," Karone whispered back. "I know."
Andros had no idea how long the two of them just sat there, crying into each other, but he had to admit that Ashley had been right. Somehow, it didn't hurt to let his tears run as it did to keep them inside. Tears ran down his cheeks, and he let them, wondering if his soul could ever heal.
