Disclaimer: Maura: GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND MAKE ME A BABY!
Marieke: Shut up! He's bonding. –hires hit man to kill Maura-
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.
Arwennicole: Kin won and Taikwa love Ash, they saw Andros with Ash and I would kill them if they weren't not happy with their separation. No, Maura is not jealous. She just thinks Elia is worth less since she's not 'Zhane's Heir' and all, same reason the grandparents are less happy about her being a girl. Um… go retrieve a bucket?
Phantom Rogue: Duh! I just couldn't let Andros be wrong! It just had to be a girl for the sake of us girls! The only cheating on Maura Andros wants is with Ashley, and seeing as she is not around… He'll be a good boy.
Lady Kimiko: Because there needs to be some upside on living on Earth? No, actually, not this time. Andros loves this girl dearly.
Slytherin-Angel44: Anyone is welcome to join. I hate Maura… maybe Voldemort would be nice enough to join if I asked him? It's not the gender that bugs them… it's the fact that a girl can't be Zhane's heir that is. Damn right you are about girls… WE ROCK! (Says the only girl in this generation of my family.)
DarkHonda: Well, we solved that name problem. And yes, I believe Rosa knows. Kin Won can't do a thing, he found out too late.
Megarider: I got a little present for you at the end of the chapter. Zhane and Karone don't care what other people think, they love their baby girl and Andros does too and that's all that really matters to them.
Lavonne Adams: Yep, that's why I just had to name the chapter 'I Told You So'. Andros will never give in to Maura… not mentally at least.
Jenny: Yes… okay… so… WHAT ABOUT THE CHAPTER!
Zeopurple: Yeah, well, that's only because he's loyal to Ashley. The only cheating on Maura he would do is with Ashley, if she would be around.
Jessica01: Why thank you.
DizneeDol: With a random girl? He hates the fact he has to sleep with HIS WIFE because he feels he's cheating on Ashley. You think a random girl can solve that? Andros would only feel more sick then he already does.
PhoenixGuardianEmaku: The baby is not an heir. She only cares for heirs of the power. Ashley has an easy job of staying strong; she's got loads of friends to keep her that way.
Dragoneyes5000: Yeah, um… kinda.
Mz. Daydream: Yeah, well, Andros needs some kind of parental figure that's lovable?
SSL: Chapter 31.
Mita427: Always. I got WAY too many chapters finished for this story already.
The-power-of-love: Glad you liked.
C.C.C.: Just read what a great uncle he is. You'll love this chapter. And yes, thanks for catching that, Karone is indeed pointing out Ashley is the most beautiful creature Andros has ever laid his eyes on. And don't worry. I won't break anything… maybe my legs, but my arms are too important to me.
Enigmaforum: Sure, anyone is welcome to join and slaughter Maura. Glad you like my story.
JDPhoenix: Nope, Elia will be perfectly safe. I'm just pointing out how much Andros loves his niece.
Secrets Untold
Chapter 14: Someday
Zhane turned the key as silent as possible. He gently pushed the front door open and stepped aside to let Karone in.
"Are you sure they're alright?" Karone whispered softly.
"Karone." Zhane sighed with a smile. "Andros is the best baby-sitter we could have asked for. They couldn't have been anything but fine."
"But…" Karone protested softly.
"All mothers want to check on their babies, but you trust Andros, right? He would have called if something was wrong."
"You're right." Karone sighed and walked into the living room.
A smile appeared on Zhane's lips when he heard Karone giggle softly and he quickly ducked into the room behind her after he closed the door. His smile grew into a grin when he saw Andros lying sprawled on the couch. Elia lay on her stomach on his chest, both fast asleep. One of Andros's arms was wrapped protectively around the small baby girl while the other had fallen to the floor. Elia had managed to grab two fists full of her uncle's shirt and was drooling all over him contently, both snoring softly.
"See, I told you they were just fine." Zhane whispered, wrapping his arms around Karone's waist from behind and staring at the scene with his chin on her shoulder.
"Perfectly." Karone agreed. "We should make a picture. They're so cute together."
Zhane didn't waste a moment and immediately went to look for a camera. Two minutes later the scene was forever preserved as a holopicture.
"Let's go to bed. I think Elia would be grumpy if we woke them up and stole her comfortable mattress." Zhane smiled, putting the camera away again, and gently tugging on Karone's hand.
"And we really should point out your room to Andros next time. It's not as if you ever sleep there anyway. I feel bad making him sleep on the couch when we've got a perfectly good empty bed upstairs." Karone murmured back, but followed him up to their bedroom.
She had been nervous to leave her baby girl alone with Andros while Zhane took her out to dinner. Elia was already two months old, but Karone was still reluctant to leave her for too long. Now those fears had settled a little. Andros loved their little girl to death and spent most of his free time over at their house. He could spend hours just staring at her and often a look of longing would appear in his eyes, breaking her heart. She knew he wasn't longing to have a child of his own, he was longing to have a family with the women he loved.
The next morning
Andros frowned in his drowsy state between sleep and awareness. For some reason there was a wet feeling against his chest… Wet, sticky, heavy… Last time something like that had happened, he had fallen asleep with Ashley on the couch over at the Hammonds'. In the middle of the night Ashley had woken up and returned to her own bed, after making him more comfortable, to avoid questions and teasing from her family. Cassie had been living with them still at that moment and her dog Jetson had jumped on him and made him his bed, drooling all over.
Cassie and Ashley had seemingly awoken at about the same time, for they were both giggling at him when he woke up. Cassie had dragged Jetson off him, trying to punish him, but losing the act when she couldn't control her giggles. Ashley had dragged him off to her room, showing him the bathroom and teasingly pointing out the shower while she went to steel a clean shirt from her brother's closet. She had been able to get her giggles under control when he looked less then amused and the quick kiss that came with her apology had been more than welcome.
But Ashley, Cassie and Jetson weren't here, his mind was conscious enough to remind him of that much and the weight on his chest was not quite heavy enough to be a full-grown Labrador.
Groggily he cracked one eye open and a small smile started playing on his lips. He lifted his hand off the ground and gently trailed his fingers over the soft little cheek of his baby niece, grinning at her soft snort in reply.
"Not the women my dreams promised me I'd wake up with." He told her softly. "But I could get used to this."
Slowly he realised he was going to be stuck in this position until Elia woke up and he sighed.
"Your daddy is going to owe me a new shirt." He informed the sleeping baby as one of her fists, which happened to be clutching his shirt, gradually moved into her small mouth.
He didn't know how long he'd lain there, just staring at the sleeping baby on his chest when he finally heard soft footsteps on the stairs. He looked up at Karone when she entered the room and placed a finger on his lips, indicating to her to keep quiet. Karone nodded with a smile and walked over, crouching down next to him.
"I believe this is the first time she actually slept through the whole night." Karone whispered as she gently touched her daughter's pale blonde hair.
"I'm not so sure my shirt is so happy with that." Andros replied teasingly, causing Karone to giggle lightly.
"Sorry, you two looked so cute together. It seemed like a crime to disturb you."
"Thanks… I think." Andros grinned ruefully.
"Yeah, well, next time you can sleep in Zhane's bed, it's not like he ever uses it anyway." Karone replied, a slight blush creeping up her face when she realised how that could have sounded.
"Don't worry." Andros told her seriously, letting his free hand run through her hair for a moment. "If I was married to Ashley, my room would have been locked and the key lost."
"It still could… but you'd be on the inside of it, not the outside." Karone giggled.
Andros chuckled silently, but the movements of his chest roused Elia and the little girl started to cry softly, her wails gradually increasing in pitch. Karone immediately reached out and picked her daughter up.
"Hungry little one?" Karone smiled, eyeing Andros for a moment.
Andros shrugged in reply to her silent question and sat up, making room for Karone. His sister sat down next to him gratefully and let her daughter nurse.
"I'll go make some breakfast." Andros offered, getting up to give Karone some privacy.
She didn't mind him being around when she nursed and he didn't either, but it was still a bit strange. And so a few minutes later the smell of toast and scrambled eggs filled the house, effectively waking the last sleeping member of the house.
"Smells good, Karone." Zhane mumbled as he stumbled into the kitchen, scratching the back of his head and yawning, eyes still half-closed.
"Thank you for the compliment, but I didn't know I looked like your wife." Andros replied amused.
Zhane cracked open one eye and stared at Andros, grumbling under his breath. Andros laughed and just put the three plates on the table.
"Karone's nursing your darling daughter." Andros explained pointing to his shirt. "She lost lots of fluids last night and not in her diaper. She's refilling."
Zhane laughed at that and dropped down in the nearest chair, digging into the food on his plate.
"You two did look awfully cute together." He informed his brother past the large ball of food in his mouth.
"Watch it or she'll be the only child you'll ever produce." Andros mock threatened as he joined Zhane.
The two teased each other all through out breakfast, to the amusement of Karone who walked in a few minutes later after Elia had finished nursing. They had missed this Andros for too long and were enjoying him to the fullest whenever he managed to pop up again. For that fleeting moment at breakfast, it was as if they were back on the Megaship and the other rangers could walk in any minute. But they would lose that moment soon; they knew that and clung to it more desperately then anything else.
'Some day all will be well.' Karone promised herself silently. 'Someday.'
A/N: Hope you liked it. It seems only few chapters ago I dedicated one to Arwennicole for the 100th review. Now, this chapter I dedicate to Megarider for review 200. –sighs- -wipes away a tear- They grow so fast. Next dedication… probably review 300. So… if you want that chapter on your name, there's only one thing you can do, and that is:Review!