Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers.

Slytherin-Angel44: This isn't soon, sorry, but updates should be more frequent now.

Mz. Daydream: That's the way I like to see it, too. :D

Mel: The reviews have spell check? I totally thought that was just my browser. :P

TrueRomantic: Yes, BB is gone. For now...

DizneeDol: You're back:D Here's more.

JDPhoenix: Andros takes a few more steps in the right direction here... Sorta. :P

Star Fata: Of course Andros is sweet and understanding! He's in love with her. :P

Juzblue: It would have been nice if she'd beaten him into a bloody pulp, but I don't think it would have worked so well.

hmmart: The thought occured to me, but the soap opera thing is why I didn't do it. :P That's not to say that there wasn't a girl in there, or that Ashley won't realize later that he was cheating on her.

C.C.C: Andros is still being sweet here... if a bit conflicted. :P

DarkHonda: So do I. :D Which is why he's cute here, too...

Funky In Fishnet: Andros is still comforting her here... couldn't resist. :P

Jenny: My eighteenth birthday present? Well, the story I sent you wasn't the one you were supposed to get and it was late, so I guess that's okay.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: I finally updated! Is your brain happy now:P I have lots to show you next time I talk to you... remind me!

Mita427: Thanks. Here's more, sorry for the wait.

Chapter 29

Vanilla. Her hair smelled of vanilla. Andros sighed to himself and shook his head, but it did little in way of clearing his thoughts. It felt so good just to hold her... It felt so good just to lay eyes on her, but to have her wrapped up in his arms, her body pressed against his, practically in his lap...

No. He shouldn't be thinking that. A quiet sniffle from Ashley quickly reminded him what he was doing in her room in the first place. He doubted very much that she would wanted him to stay with her if she'd known he would be lusting after her the entire time.

"I shouldn't be crying over him," Ashley muttered suddenly, offering a welcome reprieve from thoughts that were causing guilt to mount quickly within him. "It's so... stupid!"

"It's not," he tried to soothe her. "You love him."

"And he doesn't love me," she retorted angrily, wiping her eyes. "That's what makes it stupid. We were together for a year, and I was so... so blind! So... stupid."

"You're not stupid," he told her, with a vehemence that took both of them by surprise. "He was stupid," he added in a much milder tone. "He didn't deserve you."

He was relieved to see the ghost of a smile tug at Ashley's lips. "It's... nice of you to say that," she offered. "But we were both stupid. Look, Andros," she sighed, "it's really sweet of you to sit here with me. But you don't have to be here, and you don't have to say things like that because you're trying to make me feel better."

Ashley watched his face carefully as she spoke, and for a fleeting second, she would have sworn that she'd hurt him somehow. Then he shook his head and smiled shyly, hugging her closer.

"I meant it," he told her gently. "He didn't deserve you, Ash."

"He was the perfect boyfriend," she said quietly, studying the floor. "At first, anyway. He was so sweet, and it never bothered him much all those times there was a monster attack and I had to run off and give him some stupid excuse... He waited months before he did anything to make me realize that he wanted more. I thought he meant it when he said he'd wait."

She sighed. "Obviously, he didn't," she muttered. "Or else we wouldn't be here right now."

"It's his loss, then," Andros said firmly, feeling his conscience gnaw at him guiltily as thoughts that he definitely shouldn't be thinking danced through his mind. "He didn't deserve you."

"That's the third time you've said that," she noticed. She smiled a little as she realized, "You really did mean it."

"I told you I did," he said quietly, not quite meeting her eyes. He didn't look offended that she hadn't believed him, though, and Ashley relaxed, leaning back into his arms.

"Thanks," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder. "You're easy to talk to, did you know that?"

He cast her a startled look, but saw no sign that she was being anything other than sincere. "I--I am?" he said uncertainly.

"Yeah," she said, a bit surprised herself. "You really are. Thanks for listening..."

Her voice trailed off then, and Andros watched her in confusion. Hesitation was written all over her face, and he knew she wanted to say something more, but he wasn't sure if she was trying to think of a tactful way to tell him to go or if it was something else entirely.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked, worried at her long silence. "I--"

"You can leave if you want to," she said, sounding a bit embarrassed with herself. "I didn't mean to keep you here for so long; you probably have work to do or something..."

"No," he assured her. "I don't."

He had to smile at the irony. To avoid her company in the past, he had buried himself beneath a mountain of unnecessary chores, and now that he truly did have work he needed to be doing, there was nowhere else he would rather be than here with her.

"You're lying," Ashley accused, and he didn't deny it. She made no move to release him, though, and Andros held her silently, dreading the moment that he would have to let her go.

"Are you going to be all right?" Andros touched her hair gently, almost certain that she would protest against what could only be described as a very intimate gesture. To his surprise, she didn't make a sound and he caught his breath, even daring to think that she had fallen deeper into his arms.

"Give me a few days." Ashley let out a deep breath in a sigh. "I--I loved him."

"You love him," he corrected softly. He was still stroking her hair, the motion almost automatic now.

"I don't want to," she muttered, twisting her head away from him until he couldn't see her expression any longer. "I want to love someone who loves me! Not someone who... just wants to have sex with me. I like being... passionate, I guess, but that's... not enough."

"You want love," he murmured in her ear. That wasn't so much to ask for. He would give her that if she ever allowed him to. Andros had to bludgeon down the sudden hope he felt welling within him. He doubted that she would ever let him, but if she did... Andros swallowed hard and vowed to himself that if he was ever that blessed, he would do anything and everything it took to make her happy, and more importantly, keep her safe and sound.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I want somebody to love me."

"Somebody will," Andros said quietly. He didn't dare say anything more for fear that he would somehow give himself away. Somehow, he didn't think confessing his love for her an hour after she had broken up with her boyfriend would go over too well with her.

"I know," she sighed. "I... never mind."

"What?" he prodded, watching her clam up. "You can tell me."

"It's silly, really," Ashley said, looking embarrassed with herself. "But... I love being in love. I love just having somebody to love."

"It's not silly," he said, startling both of them with the force behind his voice. Shrugging sheepishly, he admitted, "I do too."

"You do?" Ashley craned her neck to look up at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah." Andros frowned fiercely and stared at her with sad eyes. "I didn't know who she was."

"I didn't think you did," she said softly. "I didn't think you ever would have slept with her if you had. Sorry," she added sheepishly, watching him wince and realizing that wasn't the most tactful thing she could have said.

"It's okay." To her surprise, the palest ghost of a smile formed on his lips. "I wouldn't have. I... don't know what I would have done, but not... that."

Ashley giggled before she could help herself and then clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. "I'm so sorry," she blurted out. "Andros, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"

"It's okay," he told her quickly. "I'm--I'm not upset."

"I shouldn't have laughed," Ashley insisted contritely. "You didn't laugh when I was telling you all about Ben..."

"It's okay," he repeated. "Really, Ashley. Don't worry."

Ashley smiled at him apologetically, but nodded, apparently willing to let the matter drop. He pulled her back into his arms without a second thought to anything but the overwhelming urge just to hold her, just to touch her in whatever way he was allowed.

"Andros?" Ashley whispered suddenly. Her tone was almost urgent, and Andros quickly turned his head to meet her eyes. She offered him a small smile, and despite the puffy redness of her eyes and her swollen lip, Andros felt his heart melting at the sight.

"Yeah?"

Ashley's smile grew, and then he was drowning in her eyes and not caring. "She didn't deserve you, either."

Andros caught his breath, for a moment not daring to believe he'd heard her right. He heard the allusion to his earlier words in hers, but he couldn't believe that she meant what she was saying. He was at least partially responsible for every life Lyra took, if not completely at fault, and yet Ashley was sitting there, her arms around his waist and a brilliant smile on her face, trying to take his guilt away when she could still be sobbing her heart out in his arms. Then he realized that Ashley meant every word she spoke, and he hugged her hard, nearly crushing her in his arms.

"Thank you," he breathed into her ear, his voice nothing but sincere. It was all he could say before his throat closed up. He had never before realized how desperate he had been to hear those words.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the wait. Unfortunately, school/real life has to come first. Eighteen more days and updates should be regular again. I hope you like the chapter, please review.