Disclaimer: Maura: -grumbles-
Marieke: -laughs-
Maura: I'm going to get a custody trail.
Marieke: -ties Maura to a chair and gags her- I'd like to see you try.
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: Diapers are important, but very lame to give. Um… they care? He'll realise he was stupid and say it in so many words later, you've read that!
Lady Kimiko: Zhane's crazy enough for it. I'm at chapter 28 of writing this story at the moment… I can't 'make' the baby anything I didn't plan it to be.
Arwennicole: Maura will never will… um… I think… Ashley's not at all happy that Andros is married to another and she will know what Maura is like long before meeting her, but there's nothing she can do about it.
Slytherin-Angel44: Hope I didn't make you wait too long. Like I told Lady Kimiko, I'm at chapter 28 and I can't 'make' the baby anything I didn't plan it to be.
DarkHonda: WOW! Tal! You logged in! He'll love those amazing kids more than his life, once he finally meets them.
JDPhoenix: Andros won't get permanently depressed, I got a saving angel planned for him. And other wise Ashley would be able to get him out of that depression with a dingel kiss.
Tay: Nope… he won't find out when the twin is old enough to ask questions… He'll find out MUCH later.
Jenny!: Yes, you're extinguisher was a hit. Take a bow, and the credit. Here's a cookie. Now get of my stage! You're standing in MY spotlight! But everyone loves my bear too! And NO J won't get a teddy bear! She'll get a cute girly crush. Happy now? And NO I won't slow down.
DizneeDol: Yay! Starting… and stopping again soon enough. And the gender of the baby… just hang in there just a little longer.
The-power-of-love: This soon enough?
Zeopurple: Soon, you'll know soon. Glad you love my teddy bear :D
Megarider: Yay! You hate Maura! Keep on going! It will only get worse! Maybe I could sign you up for the 'Kill Maura Squad'.
Mita427: Yay! You like my teddy too! Not too soon, but soon enough.
Mz. Daydream: I love mobiles! Did you like Zhane the goldfish? –grins- Jenny takes credit for Carlos's first present.
Dragoneyes5000: I'm so glad you like it! You're answer… in the 3-somethingth chapter.
C.C.C.: I asked… Phantom agrees Maura reminds her a little of Andrea, so yeah, maybe, but not intentionally. And no, Andros will not ask about Ashley, he's been told some cheap version of their suspicions, stripped down to the basics Ashley has left and didn't leave a number.
Secrets Untold
Chapter 12: A Moment Alone
Ashley smiled when the cries from the baby monitor on her nightstand woke her up. Five and a half months had made it a habit to wake up, not by her alarm, but by her children, and she loved it. Balancing college and her children turned out to be easier than she had expected. Sure, it still wasn't any walk in the park, but she'd choose Chyler and Chris over that any day. There was a day-care right next to the college building where she would drop off the twins before class so they could play with other children and pick them up again when class ended.
Josh had offered to pick them up if his classes ended before hers, but she had flatly refused. He had already helped her out enough by letting her into his house and taking care of one of them when she had her hands full with the other, but she wouldn't deprive him of some quiet time alone to study. She'd much rather greet them at the centre herself anyways.
She loved the day-care. It reminded her of the one in Angel Grove and when help had been requested on Saturdays, she had jumped at the chance. So now she'd spend her Saturdays working to earn her own money to take care of the twins. (She had been fired as a waitress when her boss decided her pregnancy showed too much) Josh had been supporting her ever since and she hadn't been able to find a new job because of her swelling stomach.
Yesterday had been her second day at work and the twin didn't seem to mind at all to spend an extra day at the day-care, not to mention that she could bring the two with her for free when she worked there. One of her co-workers, Tracy Wild, was in pretty much the same situation; single mom, struggling with college and a kid and still trying to earn some money. She always took her one-year-old son Nicky with her. Tracy had been barely 21 when she had found out about Nicky and her then boyfriend had dumped her the moment he heard.
Ashley cherished her newfound friend. Tracy had helped her out a lot since she started college. They had bumped into each other the first day Ashley had brought Chyler and Chris in. The two had started talking and found out they were both going to the college next door. Tracy had taken her around to all the people needing to know about the twin that could be of any help for when one of them got sick or something, causing Ashley to miss classes. She had even been able to pull some strings so Ashley had free periods whenever the twin needed to be nursed.
Ashley had been proud of herself to have made a friend without them already knowing Josh.
The crying turning stereo snapped Ashley out of her thoughts and she quickly pushed herself up and out of her bed. Josh was out of town visiting his father for the weekend, so she didn't need to be worried about him being woken, but he also wouldn't wake up to help her out today.
As quickly as she could she left her room and ducked into the twins'. Both were sitting in their beds, seemingly holding a screaming contest to be the first to be picked up. Chris was screaming the loudest, but didn't have any luck winning this time. Ashley had recognized Chyler's crying the moment she woke, and she likely needed the attention more. Chris just wanted to be soothed for being awoken by his noisy sister.
Sure enough when Ashley picked the girl up, she could feel the slight weight from a dirty diaper.
"Hey stinky." She grinned. "Couldn't let mommy sleep for a few more minutes, could you?"
Chyler giggled in reply and started babbling in her own invented baby language only Chris seemed to understand.
"Chris." The little boy reacted to his name and his wails quieted, looking up at her curiously. "I'll be with you in a minute, okay?"
The boy's attention was lost, but he did start playing quietly with the few stuffed animals in his crib. Ashley smiled at the sight and walked over to the changing table to care for Chyler before the girl started fussing again.
After changing her diaper, Ashley immediately dressed her daughter and put her down on the ground. Chyler immediate crawled to the open door to the living room, but sat right in front of it waiting for her mommy to dress her big brother and go into the living room, before heading in herself. Everyone always seemed to think Chyler and Chris understood they weren't allowed outside a room without supervision, but Ashley knew better. These were Karovan twins, with all Karovan benefits, which also meant telepathy. Though they hadn't started to develop those powers yet, the deep roots for a strong telepathic bond between the two had already formed inside her womb and so, as long as their powers didn't develop, Chris and Chyler would stay close to each other so their minds could stay close on the grounds of those roots alone.
Ashley quickly changed Chris out of his sleeper and into some clean clothes after giving him too a clean diaper. Chyler was still waiting for them patiently, but the expectant look in her eyes when she looked up at her, made Ashley laugh.
"Yes, I'll get you two some food, don't worry."
Chris whimpered quietly and Ashley sighed.
"I told you I'd get you two food." She told him exasperatedly as she walked out of the room slowly enough for Chyler to keep up with her while crawling. "Do you really have to whine for it?"
Chris gurgled happily and Ashley was almost certain he'd nod if he knew what it meant. She was sorely tempted to put them to bed without a story tonight and during naptime, but she didn't have the heart to. Their bedtime story was a Karovan fairytale, Andros's favourite. It had taken a lost of coaxing to get it out of him and afterwards she had demanded Deca to put it on a datadisk for her. It was the only way for them to hear their father's voice and Ashley desperately clung to the disk as a way to let her children learn about their father and for her to keep him close to her heart.
Absently Ashley placed Chris in his highchair and picked up Chyler, seating her in the highchair next to him. The two immediately reacted to each other, babbling her ears off without making a sound that could be mistaken for a word. With a small smile and a sigh she got two small jars of mashed baby-food out of the fridge and set down facing the twin.
"Okay, so who to feed first." Ashley asked out loud, even though she didn't expect much of an answer. "Oh, what does it even matter? Open wide, Chris."
The boy opened his mouth happily at the sound of his name and Ashley put a spoon full of food inside. While Chris contently sucked on the food instead of swallowing it, Ashley turned to Chyler and did the same. She continued this routine until both jars were empty.
Ashley put the two down on the floor and they quickly crawled off to the living room. Most other parents would call her crazy for letting two children not even half a year old crawl off on their own, but she could easily keep track of them through telepathy, silently thanking whoever was out there for granting her that particular ability when she mastered telekinesis.
With a sigh she cleaned the jars and let the hot water wash the food and baby drool from the spoon she had used. For a moment she wondered what her life would look like if she had been able to marry Andros. She had no doubt he would have been a good father to the twin, but she couldn't help the thoughts. What if Andros was only good with kids that weren't his own? Those things happened, she knew and that pained her.
A small cry from the adjoined room caught her attention and she realised she had let her thoughts wander too far. Ashley, as quickly as she could without running, made her way to the living room to check on the twins. Silently she berated herself, thinking of Andros while she should have been thinking of her kids. Even thought the two were undeniably linked, her children should be number one priority from now on.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Review. Join Tal and her 'Kill Maura Squad', applications through reviews.