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

tay: No, this chapters pretty good, it's just bad for Darkonda.

Slytherin-Angel44: He is slightly pissed off but his mood gets better here.

Star Fata: Well, the good part is this is the last time we'll see Darkonda unless I write a thrid part to this.

Ch. 19 Putting the Past to Rest

Once they had arrived back on the Megaship, Andros had put Darkonda in a cell ordering DECA to shoot him if he tried anything. Ashley had tried to get him to relax telling him that everything would be fine. That KO-35 wouldn't even think of letting him go after all the evil he had done, especially since the Golden Wave had been unable to turn him to the good side. Andros had stalked off after that and Zhane had given her the advice to just leave him alone, that he had a lot to deal with but he'd be okay once this was all put behind them. Ashley prayed that Zhane was right not only for the sake of her husband but for the sake of their family. The children had been ecstatic when she had told them that they had managed to beat Darkonda and now he'd be going to prison for a very long time. Aidan had been scared at first when he had learned that Darkonda was on the Megaship but after being assured that there was no way he could escape he had calmed back down.

"Mommy?" Holly asked, coming up to her mother. "Where's Daddy?"

Ashley took her daughter into her arms and held her tightly, whispering, "I don't know sweetheart. Daddy has a lot to think about right now and he wants to be by himself." While she was talking to her daughter she didn't notice Aidan slip out the door in search of his father. It didn't take him long to find the man in question since he had followed his father several times when he had went into guilt mode and now knew and remembered most of his hiding places.

"Daddy?" he questioned gently, afraid that his father may yell at him. When Andros looked up at his son, Aidan was shocked to see tears in his father's eyes. He had never known his father to cry, he had thought that crying made you a big baby, but maybe he was wrong. "Why are you sad?"

"I don't know, Aidan," Andros answered honestly, pulling his son into his arms. "I thought I would be happy once I got rid of Darkonda for good. That I'd know that he couldn't hurt my family anymore, but he's already hurt me so much."

"But now he can't do it anymore," Aidan whispered, wiping a tear from his father's face. "After he goes to jail, he won't be around us anymore and we can all be happy."

"And we will be, I promise," Andros replied, hugging his son tightly. "We'll be the happiest family ever and you and your brothers and sisters will have everything that you want. We'll have a big house and a big yard for you to play in."

"Really?" his son asked, his eyes filling with excitement.

"It might take me awhile," Andros stated, "but we will have all that and more." Aidan threw his arms around his father's neck and held on. "I love you, buddy and I promise I'll do my best to ensure no one hurts you ever again."

"Love you too, Daddy," Aidan whispered. "Let's go play." Andros nodded and placed his son on the floor before following him to the Observatory.

"Where'd you go?" Ashley asked their son as he entered the room. She looked up surprised as Andros entered behind her son. "I thought I told you not to bother your Daddy."

"It's okay, Ashley," Andros whispered. "If it wasn't for him I'd probably be hiding out weeks from now. So, who wants to play with Daddy?" All his children came at him and he was soon under attack by six three-year-olds and two one-year-olds. "I have to be able to breathe, you know," he managed as he was finally able to sit back up.

"We love you, Daddy," Holly replied, throwing her arms around her father's neck.

"And I love all of you," he answered, hugging all his children to the best of his ability. He stayed and played with his children and his sister for hours until they had arrived on KO-35.

"We're here," Zhane stated from the doorway, almost afraid to interrupt the sight in front of him. Andros nodded and worked his way out from under all the children in the room.

"Who's going?" he asked his best friend.

"As far as I know, you, Karone, and me, unless anyone else wants to go," he added the last part hastily as he saw the look in Ashley's eyes.

"I'll stay," she whispered, standing to hug her husband. "But let us know what's going on."

"I will," he promised, "but from what I understand they have enough evidence to try him without any testimony."

"Still, keep us informed," she ordered as she watched her children give their father and uncle a hug.

"I'll see you guys before you go to bed tonight," Andros told his children. "Hopefully, I'll be back for dinner but don't count on it, okay?" His oldest six nodded, understanding what he was saying but the twins just held onto their father's leg. "I'll be back in a little while, you guys are going to stay here and play with Mommy." The twins let go at that and ran over to Ashley. "I'll see you tonight."

Hours passed slowly in the courtroom for Andros, Zhane, and Karone. They were beginning to worry that the elders were having a hard time determining whether Darkonda was guilty or not and Andros knew that if he didn't go to prison he would be force to kill him and miss his children growing up. Zhane pulled him to his feet and out of his thoughts when the elders reentered the room.

"We have reached a decision," Kinwon stated. "We have found you, Darkonda, guilty of all counts beginning with kidnapping and ending with murder and sentence you to life imprisonment without the chance of parole." Andros felt a large weight being lifted off his shoulders as he said a silent thank you to whoever had made this possible. He now knew that Darkonda would no longer be a threat to his family ever again.

"Thank you," he whispered to Kinwon as they exited the courthouse.

"No problem, Andros," the Commander stated. "It was the least we could do after all you've done for us, plus he deserves it after all the evil he's done." Andros nodded and thanked the older man once more before returning to his family.

"What happened?" Ashley asked as soon as she saw her husband's face.

"He's out of our lives forever," he promised her wrapping his arms around her. "He'll never hurt us or our children ever again. Now, let's get home. DECA, set a course for Earth." This time he knew they were going to be able to start an actual family life.

A/N: Please Review!