Chapter 21: True Feelings

"ANDROS! NO!" Ashley wailed.

She watched as Andros fell to his knees after throwing a final blast at Hashim, destroying the evil sorcerer. Ashley threw off her helmet and she ran over to him. She turned Andros onto his back and held him in her arms. "Andros…say something, please," she begged. The tears falling down her face as Andros opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Ashley," he whispered.

Ashley nodded her head as she touched his face. "I love you…Ashley…I really do," he told her. She nodded her again with more tears streaming down her face.

"I lied to you, Andros. I lied to you. I still do love you, I love you so much," she whispered.

She held Andros's hand and let out a sob. "Please don't leave me. Hayden still needs you, the others need you…I need you. I need you to stay with me," she told him. Andros held her hand as he looked at her. Ashley held onto him praying that someone would come to help them, she didn't want to lose him after she just got him back.

"ASHLEY! ANDROS!" She heard TJ call.

Ashley lifted her head and looked around. "TJ! WE'RE OVER HERE!" She called out. She saw TJ come through the trees with Carlos and Cassie behind him. Cassie ran over and checked Andros's pulse and nodded.

"It's there, but weak," she informed.

"Let's get him back," TJ insisted.

Ashley let TJ and Carlos take him from her arms and carried him back to the base. She looked down at her uniform and saw Andros's blood covering the front of her shirt. She looked down at her hands to see more of his blood. Cassie helped Ashley off the ground and they went back to the base.

(The Base)

Ashley was sitting in the waiting room holding Andros's blood stained space jacket in her hands. "Mommy?" Hayden called. Ashley looked down at her son. "Mommy, why are you crying?" He asked. Ashley wiped the tears from her face.

"Because your daddy got hurt really bad, sweetheart," she replied.

"Did that bad man hurt daddy?"

Ashley nodded. "Yeah, that bad man hurt daddy," she replied. Hayden got up on the chair next to his mom and held her hand.

"It's okay, mommy. Daddy will be okay," he told her.

Ashley smiled as she kissed the top of his head and had him lean against her. Once she saw that Hayden was asleep, she slowly had her son lie down on the chairs and she removed her space jacket and placed it around him. She slowly walked around with Andros's jacket still clutched to her chest as if it were her lifeline. "I never stopped loving you, Ashley. After all we've been through how can you just fall out of love with me?" He had told her. His voice echoing through her head. More tears fell down her face as she thought about that night he tried to convince her that she was still in love with him. She didn't need to be convinced, because she was still so much in love with him.

After another hour, the doctor came out. Ashley stood up. "Is he okay?" She asked. The doctor sighed.

"Prince Andros has pulled through so far, but I don't want you giving your hopes up. Many times after an attack we think the patient will be fine, but then they take the turn for the worse. He's still unconscious, but you can see him," the doctor explained.

"Could you look after my son?" Ashley asked.

"Yes, of course."

Ashley went into Andros's room and tears pressed against her eyes as she looked at him. She sat beside his bed and held his hand. "Hey you. God…why do you have to go do something like that? Why do you always have to be my hero?" She asked. She bit her lip and lowered her head. She let out a shaky sigh before looking at him. To see the face mask on his face trying to help him breathe it made her want to cry. She reached over and stroked his cheek. She sat on the edge of the bed, with the other advance equipment she saw she was very careful not to pull anything out. "Do you remember back when we were on Earth. We…were lying on that hill in the park. It was a beautiful day, the weather was just perfect. The others were over at the beach hanging out, but you and I wanted to be alone…" she trailed off. Ashley took a deep breath as she thought about that day.

(Flashback)

Andros smiled as he held onto her. "This is nice, not having to worry about having to run and fighting evil," he commented. Ashley smiled and placed her head on his chest.

"It's perfect," she agreed.

He kissed the top of her head and they stared up at the sky. "You and I will be together forever," he stated. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arm around his waist. "What do want after you graduate?" He asked. Ashley smiled as she thought about it.

"I want to become the fashion designer I've always wanted to be. Someday marry the man of my dreams and I want to have a little boy that I'm going to name Hayden," she replied.

Andros looked at her confused and Ashley laughed as she lied on top of him. She pressed her forehead against his. "One things for sure. I already found the man of my dreams," she added. Andros smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.

(End Flashback)

Ashley wiped the tears that were on her cheeks away. "I graduated high school, I became the fashion designer I always wanted to be. I had Hayden like I wanted, but something's missing. I didn't marry the man of my dreams," she whispered. Ashley stroked his hair staring into his face. "I almost got everything, you're just the missing piece in my dreams. I need you…I love you…and I've missed you," she added. She took his hand in hers and kissed the top of it. "I never stopped loving you and I felt like I was dying without you everyday," she confessed. Ashley kissed his forehead and she took her seat by his bed again as tears continued to make their way down her face. "I love you and I'm never going to leave you again," she whispered. Ashley placed her head beside him on the bed and fell asleep.

The next day, Ashley woke up to hearing the door open. She looked up to see Andraya standing there. Ashley stood up with the anger showing in her face. "What are you doing here?" She demanded. Andraya crossed her arms over her chest.

"If I recall Andros is my son. I think I have rights to be in his room," she replied.

Ashley glared at Andraya. "Why do you hate me so much?" Ashley asked. Andraya stared at Ashley. "You threatened Andros when he told you that we were engaged that you would terminate any child that I would carry. That day I found out that I was pregnant with my and Andros's son," she hissed. Andraya glared at her.

"You were not supposed to be carrying my son's heir," she hissed.

Ashley pointed to Andros's unconscious form. "This is your fault," she snapped.

"How was that my fault?" Andraya demanded.

"If you didn't threaten Andros. I wouldn't have to run away and then he wouldn't have had to prove to me that he still loves me."

Tears were coming dangerously close to falling down her face again. Andraya let out a sigh. "Fine, what do you want to get you to leave him alone?" Andraya asked. Ashley felt her heart break.

"You just don't get it do you? I want your son, I've always wanted him. He's everything I have ever wanted and he's everything I'll ever need. I want Andros and when he wakes up you can't stop me from being with him," Ashley replied.

"Get out of my son's room," Andraya ordered.

Ashley got dangerously close to Andraya. "No," she hissed. Ashley's head jerked to one side when she felt a punch hit her face. She stood firm, but she held her face.

"Take that bastard of a child you call your son and get out," Andraya ordered.

"I'm not leaving," Ashley replied.

Ashley pushed Andraya out of the room just as TJ, Cassie, and Carlos were coming down the hall. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! YOU FORCED ME TO RUN AWAY!" Ashley shouted. Andraya grabbed Ashley's wrist when she tried to hit her.

"Hit me and I'll have you banished from this planet," Andraya threatened.

Ashley pushed Andraya away from her again but then Andraya threw another punch at the Yellow Astro Ranger. Soon, Caspar was coming down the hall to see his wife and the mother of his son's child fighting in the hall. "ANDRAYA!" Caspar shouted.

"ASHLEY!" TJ, Cassie, and Carlos shouted.

Caspar grabbed Andraya while TJ and Cassie grabbed Ashley. "LET ME GO! LET ME AT HER! I'LL KILL HER!" Ashley shouted. Carlos grabbed onto her before she could break out of their grasp.

"Ashley, calm down," Carlos insisted.

"You demon woman, you seduced my son so you can have that brat," Andraya snapped.

"Shut up, Andraya," Caspar snapped.

Ashley had them let her go and she looked at Caspar. "Don't worry, Hayden's with Karone. Go back inside," Caspar assured her. Ashley went back into Andros's room.