Disclaimer: -steals Tal's idea-
Marieke: -takes out favourite imaginary baseball bat- Oh Maura... I got a treat for you...
Maura: -edges closer- really?
Marieke: NO! - whacks at Maura with her bat-
Summary: The return of Andros's parents changes all future plans of Andros and Ashley. It's doubtful they'll ever see each other again. But there's a secret Ashley's carrying around just dying to come out.
Phantom Rogue: Yeah, they want a baby. Well, normally Zhane gets breakfast… now he just got extra good one. Go on and hit Andros, I'll watch, the Plot Monkeys will ignore.
Arwennicole: Cry… do cry… it won't get any better any time soon. You can sign up for a 'kill Maura spree' in the last disclaimer like that one above I'm now putting in my chapters. I'd love to get Andros to Earth and Ashley… I really would, but the Plot Monkeys would kill me.
Star Fata: Glad you like my K/Z part. Andros and Ashley will have their moments later. You might hate Maura sooner, but chapter 17 there should be no doubt left.
Lady Kimiko: Sounds good, but I can't do that. Too bad he's Andros or he'd be running all over the universe to hide from Maura.
Slytherin-Angel 44: No, that was my initial plan, but I dropped it. She was supposed to get into a fake marriage with Josh, but… she's not. She'll stay single and easy for Andros to get back when things start looking up for them both again and they run in to each other. This is a sad story… but it WILL have a happy ending.
Mita427: I was Maura was a demon in disguise… she's not.
Tal: He's doing it himself! And he's happy for his brother and sister! Your question finds an answer in this chapter. No… no honeymoon, Andros will be too good in dodging that one. Was it really that short?
Jessica01: He was hiding out in the series too!
C.C.C.: He probably did. Same goes for you as goes for Tal, read the chapter and your question is answered. You can help kill Maura with the other readers in the disclaimer of the last chapter.
The-power-of-love: Glad you enjoy.
SweetSas: You'll hate her soon enough, promise. Andros is really in deep sh.t right now and Zhane and Karone are always sweet.
Mz. Daydream: Glad you like it. This chapter you should really love.
Zeopurple: Yeah, he'll sleep there regularly… though it won't show up in the actual story, he will.
Jenny: Yay! You forgave me. Take all the time you need to write me another LONG review. Maybe I should try babbling again. Go think of reasons to keep reviews short… that should be fun, babble all about them in this review.
DizneeDol: Yeah, poor Andros. This soon enough for you?
Secrets Untold
Chapter 7: Baby Boom
"Ash, are you alright?" Josh inquired when Ashley returned home from her doctor's appointment.
"Two." Ashley muttered as she let herself fall down on the couch in a daze.
"Two?" He repeated blankly.
"Two babies." Ashley mumbled. "I'm having… twins. That - that bastard left me with two babies."
"Calm down, Ash." Josh comforted soothingly, though he was having his own worries. "You know my mom offered to help out too until you're able to stand on your own again and care for your baby, er, babies, at the same time."
Ashley took a deep breath and fought back the tears threatening to spill.
"One baby I can handle." She whispered despondently. "But two?"
"You can." Josh replied determinedly. "You are the strongest young women I know. You can handle this. Don't feel bad about accepting help. It doesn't make you any less who you are on the inside."
"I know. I… I just wish he could take some responsibility without the chance of me losing both my children to him." Ashley sighed shakily, rubbing her eyes furiously.
Josh sat down next to her and drew her into a hug, her walls breaking down as she began to sob her heart out. He stroked her hair and let her cry, while he silently cursed whomever this Andros for doing this to Ashley.
KO-35
Andros stared out of the window, the mug of hot chocolate burning the palm of his hand. He ignored it. Four months had passed since he had last seen Ashley and the pain in his hand was nothing compared to the ache in his breaking heart. The leaves were falling in the backyard, just as his spirit was slowly collapsing into a broken determination.
Seasons on KO-35 were the same as Earth – or, at least California it seemed – and they occurred simultaneously. It had always charmed Ashley and a small longing smile played on his lips when he remembered the first time she had seen snow on KO-35. It never snowed in Angel Grove or anywhere else she had lived. She had been jealous he had grown up with snow every winter.
Now it depressed him deeply. Every single detail of KO-35 that remembered him of Ashley depressed him and the burning pain sweeping through his hand was a relief to the pain he was feeling on the inside.
The hot chocolate reminded him of her too, but he just couldn't stop drinking it. They had first kissed just after she had drunk a mug and the sweet taste had lingered on her lips. It had urged him into starting to drink the addicting liquid, just to remember that first magical kiss.
"Andros?" Maura's voice rang through the room as the door opened.
He quickly turned from the window and the bright coloured leaves of the trees to, reluctantly, face his wife.
"Why do you insist on staring out of the window all the time? And drinking that filthy Earth liquid – I mean, honestly! It looks like mud!" Her eyes lit up suddenly as a "bright" idea occurred to her. "How about I make us both a cup of Cha'ar? It's sweeter than that junk and tastes much better too." Maura chirped.
"No thank you." Andros replied flatly, shuddering at the thought of the overly sweet honey-like liquid; much like her voice. "I'll stick to this."
"Oh, you're no fun." Maura whined playfully.
Andros turned his back to her and rolled his eyes. Sometimes she could act like such a spoiled brat, especially when she wouldn't get her way. He had always loathed that, having been spoiled rotten by his parents and having hated every minute of it. He had been so relieved when he had finally met Zhane before the tides turned for his parents and they had gotten fairly wealthy too. Now he was married to what he most despised.
Ashley never took anything for granted, no matter how much she saw or did, there was always some wonder left in her eyes and movements. It was one of the things that drew him to her. She would never lose the innocence that was stolen from him together with Karone. He could never get his back, but Ashley was so willing to share hers with him. To have the ability to enjoy the simpler things in life back in his life after so many years… it was a feeling he would never forget.
He missed her. It was as simple as that. Maybe if he could at least talk to her, he could deal with Maura. It was stupid of him to think that, he could ever deal with Maura, but it was the only bit of hope he had left.
"Fine." He vaguely heard her say. "If you won't have a drink with me, will you at least consider a baby?" Maura pressed just as Andros was taking a sip.
Andros nearly chocked on his hot chocolate, the liquid burning his throat.
"No." He tried to reply firmly, but the effect was lost, drowned out by his coughs.
He should have known this was coming, should have seen it from miles away - Cha'ar wasn't considered a lovers' drink for nothing.
"You should consider having an heir." Maura pressed. "You need an heir. You can't let the bloodline of your morpher die out now that there have already been four morphers lost to others – and Earthlings nonetheless!"
"Those morphers were NOT lost." Andros fumed, swiftly turning around. "Those morphers went to people worthy of the power! People who were more worthy than the other four 'heirs'. More like cowards, seeing as how they ran at the first hint of danger. And those new rangers are my friends… And personally? Those morphers are better off with them."
He didn't care anymore and let the mug of hot chocolate drop from his hand as he stormed past Maura out of the room. He took extra care to throw the front door shut as hard as it possibly could before he stalked off in the direction of the park to clear his thoughts for an hour or two… or three… or twelve.
Maura wouldn't care. She'd just write it off as another tantrum like he was some little kid not getting what he wanted or something. It annoyed the hell out of him that she treated him as a child, but there was really nothing he could do about it, nothing at all and that drove him to despair more than anything.
Two months later
"Thanks for the dinner invite." Zhane's mother smiled to Karone as she stacked the dirty dishes. "We should have done this ages ago."
"Calla is right." Andros's mother agreed. "We should keep this as a sort of tradition."
"That's a great idea, Lynette." Calla smiled, eyes lighting up at the thought.
"Yes." Karone cut in. "But that would ruin the celebration part of it."
"What celebration?" Her father asked curiously, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at his daughter.
"Oh, Avidan, she's just kidding." Zhane's father grinned and Lynette and Calla smiled.
"How about you let her finish Kaden." Andros nearly grumbled in reply.
His less than bright mood infected the others around the table, but Zhane and Karone flashed him two grateful smiles. He might not have been the easiest Andros to be around for some time now, but he did know how to get a room quiet.
"Thanks." Karone nearly whispered. "Zhane and I invited to all over here for dinner because we have an announcement to make…"
"We're pregnant." Zhane declared proudly, wrapping a loving arm around his beaming wife.
"I'm pregnant, dear." Karone corrected, with an amused grin on her face.
Within moments Andros had shot out of his chair and was spinning his little sister around as she laughed happily.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." He chanted telepathically to his brother and sister.
"Hey, don't thank me. I had fun making that baby." Zhane replied, setting Karone off in hysterical giggles.
"I didn't need to know that." Andros informed him, but his grin didn't fade.
This was the best thing he'd heard since Ashley agreed to marry him and he decided to enjoy it just as much. Silently he vowed to be the universe's greatest uncle ever imaginable.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Review.