Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. I do own Cosmos, Lyra, and Ben.
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: She'll spend the night with him a few more times, actually. :D I actually got it finished in a day! But this might be the last update for a few days. Stupid school. :P
Star Fata: It's all right, what you want to happen is probably going to happen unless I go crazy and replan the entire series. :P
Isinha: Yup, Ben is an idiot. And he just keeps getting to be more of an idiot. :D
Mz. Daydream: All jealous and controlling boyfriends will disappear soon. For awhile, at least. :P
the-power-of-love: This is a little less sad.
Funky In Fishnet: Ben gets nastier here, but all the effort Ashley put into trying to be Andros's friend pays off, too.
hmmart: Thanks, here's more.
C.C.C: Nope, he can't help it. :D
Jenny: I wasn't ranting! I was predicting the future:D Of course Ashley deserves better than Ben! If she didn't, she wouldn't end up having lots and lots of stripey babies!
Maresia Eterna: Thanks, and yes, Ben is a jealous and controlling idiot because he's the exact opposite of Andros. :D
Chapter 18
"Deca, can you please open the connection with Centaur B?" Karone asked quietly, her blue eyes red-rimmed. To Andros, she said, "They'll want to know... and Kale..."
Andros only nodded, not trusting his voice. Karone squeezed his hand in understanding, not dropping his hand as the viewing screen burst to life. Kin Won's face broke into a smile as he saw them, the expression fading as took in their faces.
"What has happened?"
"Our parents are dead," Karone said without preamble. Her voice was strong, though her fingers clenched around Andros's. "Cosmos and Lyra killed them."
Andros watched as Kin Won and those who stood behind him bow their heads, and he swallowed hard, willing himself not to cry. His mind had accepted that his parents were gone, yet his heart had refused to believe that he wouldn't walk into the next room and find them sitting there waiting for him. His heart ached at Karone's words, but no longer protested reality.
"I am sorry," Kin Won said quietly. "We will all miss them."
"Thank you." Karone hesitated. "Will you tell Kale the next time he stops on Centaur B?"
"I will." Kin Won nodded. "If you would rather tell him yourselves, I'll have him contact the Megaship."
Karone nodded, wincing as Andros nearly broke her fingers. "Thank you," she said again. "We'll tell you everything soon."
"When you're ready," Kin Won assured them.
A tiny smile appeared on Karone's face and she nodded. "Goodbye."
Andros slumped forward over the his console as Deca cut the connection, biting down hard on his lower lip. Karone watched him for a moment before coming forward to wrap her arms around him.
"It's all right," she whispered, rubbing at his shoulder. "I'll talk to him if you want."
Andros shook his head as he jammed his palms into his eyes. Mourning the deaths of his mother and father was one thing, sobbing his heart out over the sibling rivalries of a decade ago was quite another, and his pride refused to allow the latter.
"I want to be there," he said firmly. He didn't really, but he remembered his brother's temperment all too well, and he wasn't about to let Kale attempt to lay the blame on Karone.
"All right." She nodded, letting her breath out slowly. "Deca, where's Zhane?"
"Zhane is in your room," Deca replied.
Karone hesitated. "Andros--"
"Go," he cut in. "You need him, and I--I want to be alone."
There was nothing he wanted less, but he didn't have it in him to keep her with him when Zhane could offer her so much more comfort and support than he ever could. Karone seemed indecisive for a moment, and then nodded, hugging him hard as she left the bridge.
Andros stared after her sadly, unable to remember feeling more alone. He wondered briefly if Ashley would come looking for him later, before swallowing hard and telling himself firmly that she had better things to do.
---
"I didn't break up with him," Ashley insisted for the thousandth time as she slammed her locker shut. "I don't know why everyone keeps saying that."
"Ash, you were yelling at each other in the middle of the hall," Cassie reminded her. "It didn't help that you were arguing about another guy."
"Cassie," Ashley sighed. "Andros isn't just some guy."
"And that's why you tow were arguing," Cassie said with a small shrug. "Ben can't understand that holding someone while they cry is different than sleeping with them, and he's hated Andros since the beginning."
"Cass..." Ashley hesitated, staring at her friend strangely. "You think I should have broken up with him."
"I didn't say that," Cassie assured her quickly. "I just think that there are other guys, Ash, and maybe somebody else might be better for you."
"You think I should have broken up with him," Ashley repeated.
"Yeah," Cassie finally burst out. "I think you should have."
Ashley took her time replying. "I love him, Cassie."
"I know," Cassie said quietly. "But does he love you? Really love you?"
"I--I don't know," Ashley admitted, biting down hard on her lower lip. "Sometimes I think he does, but then other times... I think he doesn't really want me around."
"Love isn't sometimes, Ash," Cassie said finally. "Love is always. If he only loves you when the two of you are alone in the back of a movie theater, he doesn't love you."
Ashley winced. "How do you know all this?"
Cassie shrugged. "Some of it's obvious, and the rest of it..." She hesitated. "You could say I've thought about it a lot."
"Phantom?" Ashley asked quietly.
Cassie sighed and nodded. "If he really cared about me, don't you think he would have ever tried to contact me? Even just once?"
"I don't know, Cassie," Ashley said softly. "But if I were you, I wouldn't give up on him just yet."
"Oh, I haven't," Cassie assured her wryly. "But if I ever do... there are other guys."
"Other TJ's?" Ashley suggested with a grin.
Cassie blushed, shooting Ashley a mock glare. "Weren't we talking about your love life?"
"Yeah," Ashley sighed. "We were."
"Surf Spot?" Cassie suggested suddenly. "Our love lives will still suck, but the food's good."
Ashley laughed. "Maybe next time," she said, her smile fading. "I want to see how Andros is doing."
Cassie nodded guiltily. "TJ saw him, but Carlos and I haven't even talked to him..."
"It's all right," Ashley assured her quietly. "I don't think he wanted to see people."
"Except you?"
"Cassie, I was just the first thing he had to cling to," she insisted, growing uneasy at her friend's tone. "Andros doesn't even like me."
"Right," Cassie said skeptically, but to Ashley's relief, she let the subject drop. "Uh, Ash, if you're going to go be with Andros..."
Her voice trailed off as she nodded to something off to the side. Ashley grit her teeth as she turned, already knowing who it was. She stared cooly at Ben as he leaned against the lockers and sighed, not at all sure what she wanted or was supposed to do.
"Well, I'll see you later, Ash," Cassie said loudly, edging off to the side.
Ashley nodded absently, her attention fixed on her boyfriend. "Ben, I--"
"Look, Ashley..." Ben sighed. "I didn't mean to be such an idiot this morning. I'm sorry."
"Oh," she said flatly. "Ben..."
"Have dinner with me?" he suggested. "Tonight?"
"I can't," Ashley said, shaking her head. "I'm busy."
"Busy with Andros."
"Yes," she said softly. "His parents died, Ben. He needs someone."
"And why does it have to be you?" he demanded. "What's wrong with his sister, or that blond kid, or Cassie or one of your other friends? Why are you the one who has to be with him?"
"I don't have to," she said sharply. "I want to. What's the big deal about Andros? You didn't have this much of a problem with TJ or Carlos."
"TJ and Carlos don't want to sleep with you," Ben retorted. "Well, maybe Carlos, but you're so much better than he is. Than TJ is. Than Andros is."
"Ben, you can't talk about my friends this way," Ashley said coldly. "If you're going to be jealous of every friend that I have, then this isn't going to work."
Ben narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you--Are you saying you want to break up?"
"No," Ashley said slowly. "I'm saying I need some time to think."
"You can't expect me to wait around for you, you know," Ben snapped. "There's other girls besides you in the world, Ashley."
"And there's other guys besides you," Ashley snapped back. "If you don't want to--"
"Think all you want, Ashley," Ben snapped, turning on his heel. "Just don't take too long."
---
Andros watched the bottom of the bunk above him, his eyes so accustomed to the darkness he thought he could pick out the tiny bolts that attatched the bed to the wall.
"Andros?"
"Come in," he called, breathing a little easier at Ashley's voice. She was sitting beside him only a moment later, and the instant he felt her arms slide around his neck, he swallowed hard, tears suddenly pressing against his eyes.
"Cry," Ashley whispered, stroking his hair.
"I did," he mumbled. "I want to stop now."
"It doesn't work that way," she told him gently. "First you have to work through all your grief and hurt and everything."
"How long does that take?" he asked, feeling a sudden wetness on his cheeks as Ashley held him close. She must have felt it too, and her fingers were gentle on his skin a moment later as she dried his tears.
"It depends," she said finally. "Months. Years. Never. A few minutes. All people are different, Andros."
"I--Thank you," he mumbled suddenly. "For staying with me last night."
"You're welcome," she whispered, her voice suddenly choked.
Andros twisted to look at her, frowning as he saw her lip trembling. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she insisted. "Are you all right?"
"I don't believe you," he said, ignoring her question. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing important," she relented. "Ben and I had a fight. That's all."
"Oh," he said quietly. "I--"
"It's nothing important," Ashley repeated firmly, though from the way she shifted uneasily, he suspected othewise.
"Oh," he said again. "I'm sorry."
Ashley nodded awkwardly, and he didn't say anything more on the subject, but when Ashley hugged him again, he wondered if she wasn't holding him a little tighter than she had been the night before. He hugged her back, holding her close, not daring to believe that he could help her in any way, though he wished he knew how to comfort her the way she could comfort him. He wished that she would need him, knowing that if she was gone, he would be completely alone.
