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.
Lady Kimiko: Yeah, but Maura knows she can't stop it anymore. Andros has finally gotten rid of her.
SweetSas: Yeah, but that someone will be here soon enough. Ashley sure is the perfect hostess.
Johnny: No, for now no one knows the twins are Andros's just yet. Lynette surely started seeing things in a different light now. Enjoy this chapter.
Megarider: Yes, he definitely does. Great isn't it? No need to wait any longer.
Kamali Shen: They live in a rather large house already. I don't like rather long stories either, and writing them I find even harder then reading, but this story… well it's the easiest I've ever written.
Slytherin-Angel44: No need to wait any longer, blame fanfiction for the longer wait then normal. Andros doesn't want anything more then Danne from Maura, and anyway, Ashley's already got everything else they need.
BellaCordelia: No, I got a better place for the time when the twin drop their ghosting as their normal appearance. Here's the next chapter.
DizneeDol: Yeah, Andros is finally free! Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay.
Star Fata: You almost fainted? I'm the one who wrote this and suddenly it became my longest story ever written.
Phantom Rogue: Glad you started liking my story better now. No way you are allowed to put those names the other way around, it wasn't intended like that, I just thought they were cute names and… yeah, it just happened.
The-power-of-love: Yeah, soon.
Tay: Sorry I didn't yesterday, blame it on fanfiction being down. The divorce is here, the happy ending is mere chapters away.
Anyabral1987: Of course! No problem. Consider it done.
Psycho Tangerine: Yeah, but Maura not completely. It's terrifying in good weather… that's why I made it rain too.
Zeopurple: She sure is, no one can find her as long as she doesn't want to be found.
JDPhoenix: And soon they will be together and married.
Mz. Daydream: No, she will be told, but they're both still being rather held back about it, just to be safe.
PhoenixGuardianEmaku: Yeah, great isn't it? Enjoy the rest of the story without them. Chris will probably get the morpher just after the wedding.
Darklover: Yeah, well, I can't have her not make it. Here's more.
Secrets Untold
Chapter 41: Coming Out
"Do you think they've found Elia yet?" Lynette asked worriedly, fiddling with her hands as she paced back and forth.
"Josh would have called if they had." Karone replied reassuringly as she walked in, handing her mother a mug of the Karovan variant of coffee.
Lynette sighed and took the beaker, turning it around in her hands as she slumped down on the couch.
"I just can't believe she ran like that."
"I can." Karone replied bluntly. "She hates the thought of being forced to marry, especially at this age. She doesn't want to be betrothed. You can't deny Andros has been miserable since he was married to Maura."
"I know, I just hoped they'd work it out, just like me and your father did… and you and Zhane couldn't be happier!" Lynette argued, sipping her drink.
"Zhane and I were already in love, mom." Karone sighed. "That's why Zhane suggested you could betroth us to solve that 'problem'. We never acted on our feelings before because we weren't sure how Andros would take it."
Lynette smiled faintly and looked up at her daughter.
"I'm really sorry for everything. I just hope it's not too late for Andros to find happiness. Maybe it's time for some changes on our colony, starting by throwing away that betrothing tradition. If we stop using it, I'm sure many other families would follow suit…"
"Mom…" Karone started. "There might be a way Andros can find his happiness."
"How?" Lynette asked curiously.
"Well, we all tried to tell you when you tried to marry him to Maura that you couldn't, remember? Those protests you waved away?" Karone smiled softly. "Andros was already engaged to be married, but you wouldn't let us talk long enough to tell you."
"He was?" Lynette's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Oh… no… what have we done? Whose life did we ruin?"
"Apparently, you didn't exactly ruin it. He was engaged to the yellow ranger." Karone admitted.
"That Dr. Hammond?" Lynette's brow furrowed with a realization. "Wait, she could have faked that test and Maura could be pregnant with Andros's child." She declared, standing back up.
"No she couldn't. Though Andros married Maura to please you, he always stayed loyal to Ashley. Why do you think they only had Cevil and Danne and both children weren't born until you asked for them? And Maura didn't deny the outcome of the paternity test therefore admitting that she has been sleeping with another man." Karone explained philosophically. "And besides that, Ashley's had seventeen years to come to term with Andros's marriage to another and move on. She wouldn't cheat that test. And even if she felt like it, she's too honest to."
"She has two lovely children." Lynette sighed. "They're so happy and generous and full of life. Her daughter is worthy of the morpher she carries, unlike Cevil. I've let Maura spoil him so much, he's become too selfish and too dependent on his mother to ever make a good ranger, not to mention the leader of a team. He won't ever be worthy of the colour red and yet he will wear it still."
Just then Andros walked in with a brilliant smile on his face, holding a piece of paper in his hand, waving it happily.
"I'm a free man." He grinned. "Everything has been settled, she gets Cevil and I get Danne."
"Um… Andros?" Karone asked, as she saw he was still wearing his morpher. "Didn't Maura demand Cevil to get your morpher?"
"Yes, she did." Andros replied.
"Then why do you still have it?" Karone wanted to know.
Andros shot a quick look at his mother and shrugged, deciding he didn't care anymore.
"Cevil turns out not to be my heir, that's all." He replied.
"How?" Lynette asked.
Andros shrugged and didn't reply. He flopped down in a chair with a silly smile on his face and Karone laughed. It had been so long since Andros had freely acted like this, it was good to see it again.
"Is it Chris?" Lynette asked and Andros shot her a questioning look. "Is your heir Christopher Hammond?"
"How?" Andros asked stunned.
"Karone just told me about your relationship with his mother. I'm so sorry for destroying it. He's a sweet boy, Andros. They're both sweet children." Lynette muttered softly in shame.
"Who ever said it was destroyed?" Andros asked.
"Well, I presumed…" Lynette started.
"You presume too much." Andros told her sternly. "I never stopped loving Ashley. Three months ago in the hospital, I went to look for her and we cleared the air between us. We both told our sides of the story. I won't lie. After talking things over we found things hadn't changed very much between us. I knew when Maura turned out pregnant there was no way that child could be mine and that the paternity test would set me free. I asked if she – Ashley – was still willing to marry me after she took my blood."
"And?" Lynette asked anticipating.
"She said yes." Andros shrugged. "But I'm not asking them to leave everything behind for me, mom. I couldn't ever do that."
"You're moving to Earth." Lynette guessed and Andros nodded. "Well then, I guess we'll be visiting Earth more than we thought."
"Yeah, well… there's one other thing." Andros replied, fiddling nervously.
"What?" Karone asked, highly amused.
"Ashley's pregnant." Andros whispered nearly inaudibly.
"Well, you're bringing a child of another into the marriage too." Lynette sighed softly, processing it over in her mind. "What's the problem?"
"There is no problem." Andros sighed. "And the baby isn't from another either. I did tell you nothing changed between me and Ashley over the past 17 years."
Karone's mouth dropped open and Lynette stared at him bewilderedly.
'So far so good.' Andros decided for himself. No one was yelling at him… yet.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Review.
KMO… she's all yours!