Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. I do not make any money from these stories.
JDPhoenix: For the moment, Ashley is free of Ben. I do have a few ideas, but I haven't decided whether they'll be used or not.
TrueRomantic: Ben will hang around for Andros to get pissed at. I haven't decided anything else for sure.
Mita427: Here ya go. Updates will be quicker from now on.
Juzblue: Glad you like.
Maresia Eterna: He'll definitely do something stupid, I just don't know what yet. I loved writing them so close.
Slytherin-Angel44: Oops. He wasn't supposed to be that needy. :P Oh well, they're cute.
C.C.C: I love it when he comforts her. :P Especially this time, when she was there for him so many times.
Jenny: Yes, this is where the title came from. That first paragraph was my favorite too. :D
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Not soon, but as soon as I could make it. You should love this. ;)
Star Fata: I was having so much fun with that scene. Glad you liked it.
hmmart: Thanks. I think I did okay with school, and now I've got time to write. :P
Ashley: I'll update more often now that I'm out of school.
Funky In Fishnet: They do need each other, and now that Ben's gone, they can admit it. :P
Sasja: Yay, another A/A fan! There's a ton of great A/A fics here, hope you read them all. :D
the-power-of-love: Here's more, I'm so sorry for the wait.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the long wait! Only a few more chapters to go, and they'll be up in a few days, I promise.
Chapter 30
Exhausted beyond words, Andros sank into the center seat behind the main bank of consoles, tilting his head back wearily. Far too much had happened in one day, and though he could accept each event on its own, it was an impossibility for him to absorb it all at once.
His numbness hadn't slipped by Karone and she'd urged him to get some sleep while she took over watch duty. When he had argued that just as much had happened to her, she had retorted that Deca was perfectly capable of monitoring the situation down on Earth on her own and the entire concept of him insisting that they keep their own watch was ridiculous in itself as well as a waste of their time. Andros had responded by stalking off without another word, leaving Zhane to comfort a frustrated Karone.
With a sigh, Andros tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Karone was completely correct and they both knew it. It had been his way of making himself feel useful and had quickly become a habit. Suddenly realizing just how much Zhane and Karone had humored him over the past year and a half, he groaned, disgusted to recognize that he had done little but wallow in self-pity from the moment he had woken up to find that the girl he loved was his archenemy.
They gave up on you. His eyes widened as comprehension dawned. For months, Zhane and Karone had dragged him about, forcing him to eat and shower, always insisting that he show up to spar with him, ignoring his claims that it was useless. When it had all stopped abruptly, he had been so eager to hide from them that he hadn't questioned it. Now, though, he wished he hadn't been so blind.
And Zeah, he wondered, had she given up on him too? He frowned fiercely, shaking his head. No, she hadn't, he decided firmly. She had been a constant presence at his side, irritatingly upbeat and constantly cheerful--much like Ashley had been from the moment Zhane had shoved her half-conscious into his arms.
His frown deepened as Ashley once again appeared unbidden in his thoughts. He had known Ashley Hammond for barely a month, yet in that short time, he had gone from remembering Zeah with a painful mixture of guilt and longing to constantly comparing her to Ashley.
He knew that wasn't right and yet he couldn't help himself, which confused him even further--there was no reason for him to choose between them, but it seemed that no matter what he did, he would inevitably be forced to do so. If he sought out a relationship with Ashley, he would be letting go of Zeah, forever this time. If he clung to memory, he would be pushing away the first person he had cared about in years. But if I know I love Ashley, have I already let go?
"Deca," he inquired abruptly, "have there been any disturbances recently?"
Deca blinked at him once. "None."
"Thanks," he muttered, feeling rather foolish now, however grateful he was for that temporary respite from his thoughts.
Andros let out a sigh, fidgeting in his seat. What was he even doing here, he wondered as he fiddled anxiously with the controls. Star charts and random data popped up on the viewing screen for a moment or two before he grew restless again and brought up another. He shouldn't be here, he decided as he glared at an image of the Sina system. He wasn't needed here. He was needed--Oh.
So that was it. He sighed, all the extra energy flowing out of him in seconds. Of course the rangers couldn't allow Cosmos to continue wielding the power of the red Astromorpher, but Andros had a hunch that he was far more concerned with the matter than any of them--the power was his, after all, and somehow, he was going to get it back.
"Deca," he asked quietly, beginning to outline a plan in his mind. "Can you pinpoint the location of the Dark Fortress?"
"Not at this time," she replied, and he felt a small smile tug at his lips. It would be just like Deca to avoid at all costs the admission that there was anything she was incapable of.
Well... he didn't need to know exactly where the Dark Fortress was, he decided, his hands falling still on the console as he contemplated his options; just the general vicinity of her last appearance on radar and a handheld scanning device. With luck, he could leave and return before anyone noticed that he was gone. To the best of his knowledge, his glider was still in working order, but he could fix that easily. All that was missing was a way to keep himself protected during the journey. In other words: he needed a morph. Which without a morpher, he wasn't very likely to find.
He was chewing his lower lip, he realized in annoyance. Then he recalled catching a similar expression on Ashley's face whenever she was lost in thought. Andros smiled briefly, absently pushing stray hairs behind his ears as his thoughts drifted to Ashley. If he went to her for help, he didn't think she would turn him away... but if she went along with him, he would be risking her life along with his own, and that was a chance he had taken once and paid for dearly. No, he was going to do this on his own.
Zhane!
Andros brightened suddenly, hard pressed to keep himself in his seat as opposed to rushing out of the room eagerly to test out his theory. It was unlikely that the black or blue Astromorphers would respond to him--the Power responded sparingly to those that it hadn't chosen, and he was largely unacquainted with their chosen bearers, despite the fact that they were currently shipmates.
Yellow, pink, and violet he ruled out instantly, if for no other reason than he wouldn't be caught dead in the color. Besides, he had the distinct feeling that Cassie would rat him out to the others and as for Karone... he would rather not picture her reaction if she knew what he was up to.
Granted, he wasn't very fond of silver, either, but Zhane was the closest to him besides Karone, and he was also unlikely to object--too strenuously, anyway. Andros grinned as he remembered some of the predicaments Zhane had landed himself in back on KO-35 before sobering and turning his attention back to the matter at hand.
Of course, there was always the chance that Zhane--under Karone's influence, no doubt--would refuse to aid him, opting instead for some strategy that would without question involve everyone but Andros himself. That put him in the awkward position of borrowing his friend's powers first and explaining himself after. Unless, of course, he could fix things so he didn't need to...
Dismissing the idea that he wouldn't succeed, Andros let the plan take shape in his mind. Once he was certain that the rangers would be asleep, he would leave the Megaship and head for the Dark Fortress and find his way onboard. From there, there was the simple matter of locating Cosmos and waiting for the right moment to strike. It was obvious, really, he thought with a satisfied smile. He could go now, even, if he checked that Zhane was asleep before--
"Andros?"
Not tonight, apparently. Andros grimaced slightly as he turned his seat to face the black ranger. "Carlos, what are you doing up?"
"Looking for you." Carlos crossed his arms across his chest as he studied Andros, who had raised one eyebrow in surprise but otherwise hadn't responded. "You talked to Ash?"
"I--when?" Andros narrowed his eyes in confusion. "She told me she was tired."
Carlos rolled his eyes. "So you did talk to her."
"A few hours ago," he confirmed, a bit put off by the other's tone. Carlos sounded almost accusatory. "Why?"
"What's wrong with her?" Carlos asked, taking what would normally be Cassie's seat. "I'm worried about her. That's all."
"I--" Andros hesitated, sure that Ashley wouldn't be pleased with him if he chose to relate her entire afternoon, and settled for shrugging. "You should ask her."
"I did ask her," Carlos informed him. "She wouldn't talk to me."
Andros only blinked at him. "Then why should I?"
"Look, Andros," Carlos sighed, "I know that Ash broke up with Ben. We all know you like her, and, well..."
"And what?" Andros asked. Not entirely understanding the situation, he decided it might be best to let Carlos explain himself.
"Don't hurt her," Carlos finished. "That's all."
Now Andros understood. Vaguely, he could remember himself making similar threats to Zhane when he had first realized how close his best friend was to his sister--but he was very certain that Ashley was nothing like a sister to Carlos.
"I would never want to hurt her," he said finally, wondering if it would have been best to say nothing at all. "You didn't need to worry."
"I think I do," Carlos countered. "Ashley means a lot to me."
"I know she does," Andros said evenly. "But she means a lot to me, too, and I would never--"
"Are you sure?" Carlos pressed. "That story you told us earlier... that girl--"
"Her name was Zeah," Andros cut in, teeth grit. He now saw clearly where this conversation was headed and not about to let it. "I didn't enjoy killing her, if that's what you want to know."
"Whoa." Carlos held up both hands before Andros had the chance to say more. "I didn't mean that. Just--Ash is one of us, all right?"
"Sure," Andros said quietly as he stood rather stiffly. "I understand."
With that, he headed for the Megalift even more confused than he had been the moment before. He'd thought that Carlos would tell him to leave Ashley alone, but he hadn't; there had only been the warning that Ashley was "one of them."
One of what, exactly, he wondered, leaning back and letting the doors support his weight. Human? He was no less human than Ashley, but was certain that Carlos knew that. He was definitely not Terran, but was equally sure that Carlos wasn't concerned about that.
A ranger, maybe? Had Carlos been trying to tell him that without a morpher, he wasn't good enough for Ashley? He frowned, not certain that he'd come to the right conclusion, but for lack of a better one, it was the one that he stuck with.
It was just another reason he needed to go after Cosmos. Doing so tonight was out of the question; he needed to do some more planning, and it would have to wait until Deca gave him a general idea of where he could find the Dark Fortress--he wasn't going to go out and search at random, but Andros could almost feel the still-familiar weight of the Astromorpher around his wrist once again. He would have sworn that he could feel the Power coursing through his veins. It was only a matter of time now.
