Disclaimer: Marieke: Come on Maura, we're going to take a little trip.
Maura: Hurray!
Marieke: -pilots shuttle and dumps Maura in the nearest black hole- Good riddance.
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: They fun when they drunk! Things would have been a lot easier if everything had just gone their way… BUT THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE MY STORY!
Zeopurple: I just couldn't help myself when naming the babies, but Lynn is actually stolen from Tracy Lynn Cruz. Tracy didn't fit, so I just took Lynn instead, since I didn't want to use Leigh.
Arwennicole: And after Tracy. Yes, 16 years, I just can't make it any shorter. He can be there when his kids get born later, don't cry.
Mz. Daydream: Glad you like everything happening in that chapter.
SweetSas: Hope you got to read this in time. I'll see what I can do, wave my wand around a bit and see if Josh will pop out of the story for you.
The one and only Star Fata: Yes, I just had to do that. Anyway, Josh is still going to be a great dad. He'll get himself a new girl, but she'll know about Lu and never tries to replace her. Yes, there are actually a whole bunch of really nice people in this story.
Lady Kimiko: I saw that in ER… I just had to put it in, because it was SO damn funny! They sedated this guy with enough sedative to put a horse to sleep and he still kept on signing. And Chris and Chyler didn't choose different last names. Lee and Leigh are their middle names, they dropped their last name Potts and Chris added Khayman because there's already a Christopher Lee in the movie business, or something like that. No! I'm not stalking Chris… just yet anyway.
Slytherin-Angel44: Yeah, I named them after the actors and no, both kiddies are stripey. The cutest kiddies around if you ask me.
BellaCordelia: Glad you like my name choice.
Tal: The two are the cutest babies around! I swear!
Jenny: BLAME ROSA! I UPDATED FIRST! How can you ramble so long about names? Then again, how can we ramble about anything for that long? Yeah, that was review long enough. How come when you are getting your butt on aim… IT STILL TAKES AN HOUR?
Jessica01: I never could have guessed.
JDPhoenix: Yeah, I know how ff(dot)net was bugging us last night, don't worry. You'll hate Maura soon enough. I promise.
Secrets Untold
Chapter 10: Hung Over
Andros groaned as he felt someone shaking him. Reluctantly, he blinked open his eyes and let out another pitiful groan when the light stung at him brightly. He realised his head felt like Dark Spector had stepped on it, before using it to wipe his overly large feet. Not the best feeling in the world.
"Oh, quit whining, I turned the lights as low as possible." A soft voice whispered, but still sent bells ringing loudly in his head.
"Hurt." Andros mumbled in reply, completely ignoring what was said.
"You shouldn't have drunk that much then." The voice replied amusedly, with a hint of annoyance in it. "Come on, sit up! I made you some herbal tea; it'll help."
"Never did before." Andros grumbled in pain, as he struggled to sit up.
Once he managed an up-right position, he slid back a little so he was leaning against whatever pillow his head had been on moments before. A warm cup was pressed into his hands and he took a careful sip, letting the warm liquid sooth his sore throat.
"That's because you probably forget to add half a bottle of pain medication." The voice replied to his last statement.
He crooked open his eyes again and a blurry figure with long blonde hair appeared.
"Thanks, Karone." He muttered softly, gratefully taking another sip.
"No problem, I'll make you some breakfast before you and my darling husband head out to work." Karone smiled in reply as she began to walk away.
Karone left and Andros sighed, sipping his tea and waiting for the pain medication to take its desired effect. A few minutes later Zhane dropped down next to him, his eyes closed and sipping his own cup of tea. It took him a few moments to register his friend was sitting there too, but then Zhane opened an eye, taking in Andros's looks and the cup of tea in his hands. A sly grin started to form on his lips.
"So I wasn't the only one drinking." Zhane muttered softly.
"I figured that when I realised this wasn't my house." Andros replied just as quietly, but an answering grin had appeared on his lips.
Karone entered again a bit later, carrying two trays, both filled with a plate stacked with pancakes, a tall glass of fresh orange juice and half of a lemon like fruit native to KO-35.
"Don't expect this service every time you two get home too drunk to think straight." Karone told them pointedly as she gave both boys a tray. "You got lucky this time because Zhane called he'd be taking you out for a drink since you were acting strange, Andros."
"He was?" Zhane asked confused. "I did?"
Andros didn't catch Karone's reply. Her words of him acting strange brought up a dream he had that night. Ashley had been in it and she had been in great pain, but she hadn't seemed to mind too much. And there had been a guy telling her to push. He knew he had seen more, but he couldn't recall what.
"Andros, are you okay?" Karone's voice penetrated his thoughts.
"Huh… Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered having a strange dream, that's all. It's nothing." Andros replied, waving her concern away and digging into his food.
"Hey, pigging out is my specialty!" Zhane protested, and wincing at the sound of his own loud voice.
Karone watched the two eat for a few seconds, when suddenly a pressing feeling appeared in the back of her throat. She ran to the nearest bathroom and emptied her stomach into the toilet. When she was finished she groaned, realising this had been the first of her probably many encounters with the toilet in the next few months.
She was rinsing her mouth when Andros appeared in the mirror, leaning against the doorframe.
"Are you okay? Zhane wanted me to go check on you since the echoing of the walls here would probably kill his brains with pain. Not that there are any brains to be killed, but still. He's cleaning the dishes instead." Andros spoke when she turned to face him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just normal morning sickness, that's all." Karone replied with a faint smile.
Andros held out his arms to her and she willingly stepped into his offered hug.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" He said, speaking to somewhere over her shoulder. "I want a perfectly healthy niece to spoil."
"Nephew." Karone corrected him with a laugh. "It's going to be a boy."
"Girl." Andros retorted playfully.
"Boy." Karone shot back.
Playfully bantering they made their way to the kitchen.
"Hey, keep it down, will you?" Zhane complained. "How come you don't get a headache anymore, Andros? You must have drunk at least as much as I did."
"But he also got more pain medication in his tea." Karone replied sweetly. "He's got more reason to drink than you have."
"Whatever, we're going to be later for work." Zhane sighed, placing a quick kiss on Karone's cheek. "I'll see you tonight, oh and Andros. Boy."
"I still say it's a girl." Andros shrugged. "I'll see you again some other time, Karone."
He placed a quick, brotherly kiss on her hair before following Zhane out of the house.
"Oh and thanks for breakfast!" He called over his shoulder. "And take care of my niece!"
"Any time." Karone smiled and waved after the two. "And it's a nephew!"
Earth
"Just go, we'll be fine." Ashley assured with a laugh.
Josh sighed in defeat and nodded.
"Promise me you'll call when you need anything." He urged as he shrugged on his jacket.
"Promise." Ashley smiled.
After one last look at her, Josh shook his head and left for school. Ashley's smile grew and she turned around, pushing the slightly crooked door next to her completely open. Two cribs of white painted wood stood in the room with a light yellow tinted rocking chair between them. One of the cribs was decorated with red bedding, the other in yellow. At the head end of both cribs hung a small mobile with small stuffed animals, yellow birds and red lions.
"Hey munchkins." Ashley whispered softly.
She smiled when she saw Chris was fast asleep, but Chyler was fussing a bit.
"You hungry?" Ashley muttered as she picked her little girl up.
With a bright smile on her face she settled down in the rocking chair to nurse Chyler. The little girl drank eagerly. Ashley gently stroked her cheek and sighed contently.
"The only thing that could make this more perfect is your daddy being her." She informed the nursing infant. "Only him."
A/N: Hope you liked it. Review! Okay, everyone. My wonderful beta-reader and friend Jenny has written a 'What-if' of this story. Her penname is Star-le-Faith. Go check it out.