Disclaimer: As much as I would like for it to be, Power Rangers is not my creation.

Phantom Rogue: They won't get them both back soon but they will get them back.

Slytherin-Angel44: I feel sorry for them too and I'm the one who put them there.

Star Fata: Yeah, I tried to go back and change them all but I guess I missed that one but you knew what I meant.

PernDragonrider: Thanks! Here's more!

Ch. 7 One Down, One to Go

The rangers couldn't help but smile. DECA had finished the override program and now all they had to do was place them on Andros and Karone. Ashley and Zhane were even beginning to feel better as they formulated a plan to get Andros and Karone back, but this was the hard part.

"We know that Darkonda's going to be watching them," Zhane stated in a sad voice. "How are we going to get them apart?"

"If all we have to worry about is Darkonda," T.J. began, "we can distract him easy enough."

"Yeah, he definitely wants rid of us," Cassie agreed her eyes filling with happiness. "And if he can do it himself, that'll just be a bonus for him."

"So, what's the plan?" Tommy asked.

"Carlos, Cassie, and I will go down first," T.J. explained. "He'll expect Ashley and Zhane to stay up here for a while. Once we have him far enough away you will go and get Andros and Karone." Tommy nodded, seeing once again why he had chosen T.J. to take his place as Red Ranger a few years earlier. It wasn't long before their plan was put to the test.

"They are attacking Angel Groove," DECA warned. It didn't seem right to call them Andros and Karone but at the same time she couldn't call them by their evil names now so she just settled for they. T.J., Carlos, and Cassie left quickly determined to do their part of the plan as quickly as possible.

'Just a little bit further,' Ashley thought to herself as she watched the fight on the screen develop. 'I won't lose you, Andros.' Beside her Zhane wasn't in a much different state. He knew that it was going to be a hard fight but, to get back the love of his life and his best friend, he'd do anything. When Darkonda was a safe distance away from Andros and Karone the other rangers made their move.

"Ah, look it's the other rangers," Galactus laughed as he tapped his sister on the shoulder. When tears began to form in Ashley's eyes he dropped to his knees. "Ashley," Andros whispered, "I'm sorry." His control didn't last long before he was pushed aside.

"Andros?" Ashley questioned hopefully.

"He no longer exists," Galactus stated, rising from the ground. "He wasn't strong enough to fight me." This only caused Ashley to cry harder and as a result Andros was able to regain control.

"Andros," she began, "I know you can hear me. I need you to fight. I need you. Our kids need you." That was all the encouragement he needed to fight the evil in his body.

"You have to hurry," he gasped. Quickly, the other rangers besides Zhane and Ashley pulled Astronama into a fight. Ashley pulled the reprogramming chip from her pocket and made her way to Andros. Zhane quickly restrained him in case he lost control again while Ashley positioned the chip on his head. His body convulsed several times before he fell back on Zhane.

"Are you okay?" she asked, dropping to her knees beside him.

"Much better," he replied, smiling weakly.

"DECA, teleport Andros to the Med Bay!" Ashley commanded watching as her boyfriend disappeared. As she and Zhane prepared to get Karone Darkonda had forced his way back to her.

"I see you have taken one of my pawns, Rangers," he stated. "But you will not get the other!" At that both of them were teleported back to the Dark Fortress.

"We'll get her back, Zhane," Ashley promised, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now, we have Andros back and we know how stubborn he is when it comes to Karone." That brought a small smile to his face and she knew that he was going to be okay.

"Let's go check on Lover Boy," he added with a wide grin, dunking as Ashley's fist flew towards his head. When they arrived they found Andros arguing with Alpha and DECA and Alpha was trying to hold him down. Zhane rushed to his aid, easily holding down his best friend from much experience. "You know better than to argue with her. She's always right."

"But I feel fine," Andros answered, forcing himself into a sitting position but his body chose to disagree as he fell back to the bed. "Okay, maybe not so fine."

"DECA, how bad is it?" Ashley questioned. She was pretty sure that they hadn't done anything to him in battle but that didn't mean Darkonda hadn't done anything before.

"Just some bruised ribs and a broken wrist," the AI answered. "But I am more concerned about him being dehydrated and malnourished."

"No," Andros stated, looking at Zhane who had already began looking for the equipment needed to start an I.V.

"Andros," he sighed, looking his friend in the eye, "if we go ahead and do it now you might be able to come with us to get Karone, but if not there's no way I'll let you go anywhere." At his best friend's nod he began setting up the I.V. Once he had everything ready he prepared for the hardest part. Little did he know it was about to get a lot easier for him. As if on cue the sextuplets entered the room followed closely by Kim, who had the twins in her arms.

"Daddy!" they all yelled as they ran over to the bed. At just under three-years-old, they were by far the cutest of the ranger children and no one could argue. Seeing that Andros was distracted Zhane quickly inserted the I.V. needle and started the fluids.

"Have you been good while I've been gone?" he asked, eyeing them all suspiciously. Although he loved his children, he knew there wasn't a day that went by without them getting into some sort of trouble.

"Yeah," Brytan answered. "We help take care of the babies." Andros was more shocked by the fact they had helped with the twins more than the fact that their sentences were beginning to make more sense.

"Give me them," he said, motioning at Kim as he was helped into a sitting position. At just under a year old the twins were beginning to attempt talking. They could already say hi and bye but both he and Ashley had been disappointed when the first name they had said was Rone. Karone had immediately blamed Zhane saying that he had been trying to teach them for months. But nothing could have prepared Andros for what they did next.

"Addy!" Demetrius yelled.

Followed closely by Cestra yelling, "Ommy!"

He couldn't help but smile when he looked up at Ashley and said, "He said 'Daddy' first." He dunked the best he could with two children on lap plus all the soreness he had acquired over the past few days but it didn't do him any good.

Everyone broke into laughter, even Zhane, seeing the scene in front of them. They decided to wait until the next morning to plan their next attack, knowing that Andros would want to be part of it but at the same time they couldn't all fit in the Med Bay. Morning came quickly for Zhane, but he hadn't really been able to sleep at all while Karone had been away. He made his way slowly to the Bridge, hoping that the other rangers would already be there.

"We have a plan," Andros stated as he walked through the door and he had to admit his best friend looked a lot better. At his questioning glance Andros continued, "You and I are going to go back to the Dark Fortress. We'll steal some armor from Quantrons and go to the Bridge. The others will go down to fight but I don't think Darkonda will want to chance losing Karone again…"

"So she'll probably be up there," Zhane concluded and Andros nodded. "Let's do it!"

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I had writer's block on both stories, but I did work a little on a story I will post after one of these two are finished.