Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. I'm just having fun with them.

Chapter 11

He almost preferred the nightmares. Andros was still shivering as he crawled back into bed, burrowing deep under the blankets. Nightmares didn't make him blush and stutter every time she was in the room with him. Nightmares didn't make it impossible for him to think of anything else for hours after. Nightmares didn't make him more confused than he already was.

Andros pulled the covers all the way up over his head, tucking his fingertips beneath his arms. He supposed he was ready to admit that he hadn't been completely honest with Zhane the week before--he did want Ashley to notice him. He only had no clue how he was supposed to go about doing that.

What did he know about relationships, anyway, he asked himself with a sigh. He'd never wanted one, always avoiding anyone who might have wanted one with him. It wasn't that he didn't notice the girls; he did, but something inside of him always screamed out in protest when they got too close.

But Ashley was different than any of the giggling girls that had adored him and Zhane. They had all been harmless enough, and Zhane had dated a different one every week. Andros hadn't minded, though he had put conscious effort into never running into any girl Zhane had snuck into the Ranger Dome.

Ashley, though... A tremor ran through his stomach and Andros rolled over to bury his face into the pillow. He spent the next ten minutes wishing for Zhane's charm, or at least his lack of self-consciousness. How was he supposed to get close to her if he couldn't manage to think whenever she was around?

Still wondering, he rolled over and fell into a thankfully dreamless sleep. He woke up again before Deca's alarm sounded and stumbled sleepily out of bed. Andros slipped out of the uniform he'd slept in and dressed quickly in his sweatsuit, pulling his hair back into a neat ponytail. He would be ready the next time he faced Darkonda.

He made the bed before leaving the room, tempted to just crawl back under the warm blankets and sleep for several more hours. It took every last bit of willpower to turn around and walk out of the room. With a sigh, he dragged himself to the holding bay when his stomach growled.

The Megaship was still and quiet this early in the morning, but he knew that it wouldn't last for long. Sure enough, he'd only just begun to eat when another set of footsteps came in his direction. Ashley's cheery greeting reached him a moment later, and he winced slightly. It was too early in the morning to fully appreciate her enthusiasm for everything.

"Morning," he mumbled back, trying hard to smile at her. The gesture was lost when he yawned, but Ashley smiled back at him anyway.

"You feeling okay?" she wanted to know, peering at him in concern over her cereal. "You look kinda sleepy."

Andros shook his head and resisted the urge to rub his eyes. "I had plenty of sleep. I've got too much to do today."

"Oh." Ashley only paused for a moment. "Well, what is it? I'll help you, if you want."

"I just--" Andros swallowed another yawn. His eyes darted to Ashley for an instant before he restrained his gaze to his lap. "I'm just going to be on the Simudeck for awhile."

"When you're done working out, do you want to come down to Angel Grove with me?" she suggested. "I'll show you around, in case you ever want to go down there alone."

"I... um..." Andros hesitated, unsure how to decline politely. "I'll be busy all day," he finally told her, and winced inwardly at how flimsy that sounded. "I mean, um..."

"Yes?" Ashley prompted. Strangely, he thought she was trying not to smile. "What is it?"

"I..." Andros squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He stared at his lap, knowing that the instant he looked into those warm eyes, what little resolve he still had left would vanish completely. "I can't."

The words left his mouth, and he realized how stupid that sounded. He couldn't think of a better way to spend the day than with her, yet here he was turning her down--why? He couldn't figure out quite what it was, but he was... afraid of something. Having someone so close, maybe. Whatever it was, he wasn't ready for it.

But that didn't stop him from wanting her; wanting to be able to hug her, to kiss her, to just... be there with her. Andros swallowed the ache in his throat and dumped his plate back into the Synthetron, mumbling a goodbye as he fled into the hall.

He didn't stop walking until he reached the Simudeck. Once inside, he locked the doors behind him and started up a lower-level sim, just something to get him stretched out and warmed up. Andros knew this routine by heart and threw himself into the workout, every move so familiar he could do it in his sleep if he had to.

It wasn't until he told Deca to switch to a higher level sim that his problems started. His focus wasn't quite there, he realized, as he ducked away from one Craterite only to take a kick to his stomach from another. He was stumbling, his moves increasingly slow and sluggish until he finally just sat down in the middle of the floor. This was hardly the most difficult sim he'd done this week--why couldn't he just get through it?

Deca stopped the sim without being told and Andros stayed where he was, simmering with frustration. What was he doing just sitting here on the floor? He couldn't do that in battle, now could he, and he certainly shouldn't be doing it now.

"Deca, unlock the doors," he finally muttered in defeat, slowly picking himself up off of the ground. "I'll be back later."

"I suggest you get some sleep, Andros," Deca told him gently. "Your head will be clearer."

"I don't need sleep," he said irritably, his voice strained. "I'll just go..." He stopped as the doors slid open, freezing cold as he almost ran straight into the Yellow Ranger.

"A--ashley?" he stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," she replied calmly, studying him with a small smile. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered automatically. He knew that he'd answered far too quickly for her to believe him, but he doubted she would have believed him anyway. "What did you want?"

"I wanted to see if you were okay." Ashley hesitated. "It's just that you left so quickly... if I said anything to upset you, then I'm sorry."

"What? No," he told her, completely taken aback at her words. He ran the scene in the holding bay through his mind another time and grimaced inwardly. He'd been trying so hard, too...

"You didn't say anything wrong," Andros assured her guiltily. "I didn't mean to make you think anything like that."

Her smile was back, beaming at him, and Andros felt his insides go weak. She gazed deep into his eyes, and he was unable to shake the sense that she was staring straight into his core.

"I thought you'd have a longer workout than this," Ashley said finally, glancing past him into the Simudeck. "Where are you going now?"

"I have work to do." He didn't miss the fact that Ashley fell into step beside him as he started walking towards the Bridge. "I'll finish training later."

"What are you doing?" she prodded, making no sign that she was going to leave him alone. "Can't it wait?"

"No," he muttered, and sighed. "If you really want to know, I need to find a way to get Astronema alone. I need to talk to her."

He didn't know why he told her that. He probably shouldn't have, but all he could think about was the way that she had just held him when he'd confessed to her about his sister's locket, stroking his hair and softly promising him that everything would be okay.

"Be careful," she pleaded as they stepped onto the Bridge. "And Andros... what if Astronema's not her?"

"She is," he said fiercely. "She has to be." Because if she wasn't, Andros wouldn't be able to convince himself that Karone was still alive.

"I'll help you," Ashley offered again. "If you want me to."

Andros snuck a quick glance at her. She didn't look anything other than sincere, and he just stared at her. "Why?" he finally asked.

"Because you shouldn't have to do this alone," she answered immediately, and slid into her seat. Her eyes were on him expectantly, and she smiled. "And because you're my friend."

He couldn't stop the answering smile from spreading across his face as he nodded. "Thank you," he said softly, taking his seat.

Ashley shook her head. "You don't need to."

"Thank you," he repeated. His smile faded as he glanced up to Deca. "Could you bring up the search maps, please?"

Andros sighed and glanced away for a few moments, fiddling anxiously with his hands. "The yellow markers are everywhere she's not," he told her, eyes closed. He could picture it perfectly in his mind. "She almost has to be here."

He half expected Ashley to gently point out that Karone didn't have to be alive at all. She didn't, only asking what the red markers were for. Andros's eyes snapped open and he growled a curse under his breath, swearing that Deca was going to pay for that.

"Andros?" She laid a hand on his shoulder, her face puzzled and slightly worried. "You don't have to tell me..."

He just sighed. If he didn't tell her now, he would have to soon enough. "Do you remember when I said the red morpher was intended to go Eiran?"

"Yeah." Ashley frowned. "You said he died?"

"He and his father." Andros ran a hand through his hair. "I want to tell their family what happened."

"That's sweet of you," Ashley murmured, but he shook his head.

"It's something I have to do." He paused, then offered her the details in hopes that she would understand. "Val and his wife, her name was Lila, had three children. Eiran, the oldest, was meant to be Red Ranger. Their youngest and only daughter, Aileana, was intended to be the Yellow Ranger."

"What about the other one?" Ashley asked curiously.

"Mahon." Andros smiled a little. "He wasn't meant to be a Ranger, but everyone adored him and Aileana. The entire family left KO-35 about a year before Darkonda--before..."

"It's still sweet of you." Ashley smiled and slid her arm around him, and he couldn't help but notice that the feel of her body so close to his was a pleasant one. "I'll help you."

"Thanks," he murmured, and sighed, reality crushing down on him once again. "I don't know where to start looking..."

Ashley's smile turned sympathetic. "You know what? You need a break," she told him. "Go do something fun before you come back to this."

"But I... I have to--"

"Andros, it's been years," she reminded him gently. "I'm sure their family would understand if you let one day go by where you didn't look for them."

"I have to do this," he insisted. "And if I'm not doing this, then I have other work I should be doing."

"You need a break from that, too," Ashley told him firmly. "Come on; what do you do for fun?"

"I..."

"Yeah?" Ashley looked at him expectantly.

Andros suddenly felt very empty. "I--I don't know," he confessed. "I can't remember."

"You don't do anything just because it feels good?" she pressed. "You've never spent half the day in bed because you're too lazy to get up, or just pigged out on junk food and watched a movie because it was more fun than what you were supposed to do?"

He just shook his head no. He didn't know how else to answer.

"We'll have to do something about that, then." Ashley grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his chair. "Go get changed; you're coming with me."

"I--I am?" He looked at her uncertainly. "Where?"

Ashley only shrugged at him, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. "Somewhere fun."


"Deca, where's Andros?" TJ asked absently, dumping more ketchup onto his bacon.

"Andros is with Ashley in Angel Grove," Deca replied, and Zhane's head snapped towards him suspiciously.

"I was just wondering," TJ shrugged. He took care that his voice wasn't nearly as defensive as he felt. "He said something about training today if it was convenient for us."

"Oh." Zhane sat back slightly, though his eyes were still narrowed. "They'll be back later."

He ignored Zhane's tone. "Not if Ash has anything to say about it," TJ grinned.

"Probably not." Zhane appeared inexplicably pleased. "We can all meet on the Simudeck without them, you know."

"Nah, no point in it." TJ explained, "Andros said something about working on some new team strategies."

"I guess we have to wait on them, then," Zhane agreed, and the silence grew a little heavier.

"Incoming transmission," Deca announced, and they both glanced up in relief.

"From who?" Zhane inquired smoothly, sliding off of his stool.

"The Phantom Ranger," Deca replied, and TJ let out a heavy sigh before he could help himself. This day was just getting better and better.


"So... this is my house," Ashley announced, unlocking the door and showing him in. "Sit down if you want, or I could show you around..."

"I'd like that." Andros smiled shyly and Ashley nodded instantly.

There was probably nothing that look couldn't win him. Stop that, she scolded herself, but her mind wasn't listening. Ashley was struck with the sudden urge to just fling her arms around him. Shaking herself free of it, she focused on giving him a quick tour.

"Come on, then." She gave his hand a tug. "The kitchen and dining room are this way, but we never use the dining room unless we have company over..."

She stopped talking when she realized that Andros wasn't listening to a word she said. He was looking around with interest, though, and she just watched him with a smile. Their dining room was plain, just a table and chairs with a bookcase in three of the four corners and a small table in the other. Ashley had no idea what Andros found so fascinating, but shrugged it off. He'd never been to Earth before, after all.

"You ready to see more?" she asked him finally. Awed as he was, he'd been staring around the room for a good ten minutes.

He nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "It looks more like KO-35 than I thought it would," he remarked, pausing near the kitchen doorway.

Ashley followed his gaze, sighing inwardly when she realized he was looking at the family pictures. His eyes drifted back to her. "Is this you?"

"Yeah," she said. Ashley stepped closer to stare at the pictures herself. "That's my mom and dad and Jonathan, my oldest brother, is on the left. Jeff's in the middle. I was twelve then."

He frowned slightly, studying their faces intently. "You must look alike," Andros murmured, then he glanced at her sheepishly. "They look familiar."

Ashley tried hard to smile. "Yeah. We do look alike."

"Ash?" Andros's attention was suddenly fixed wholly on her. "What's wrong?"

"We took this picture right before my parents divorced," she muttered, looking away. "That's all."

"Oh." Andros glanced from the picture to her another time, his eyes unhappy. "I'm sorry."

"I'm over it now." It was a lie, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. "Come on, let's go. Kitchen's in here," she continued without pause. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really." Andros paused to look around again, and Ashley smiled. He did the same in the living room and downstairs guest room, and it probably took them at least twenty minutes to move up the stairs to the second floor.

"That's my mom's room over there," Ashley said, gesturing to the door at the right of the stairs. "Jeff's room is the first door on the left over here, and my mom's office is the door at the end."

"Can I see your room?" he wanted to know, and Ashley paused.

"I guess so," she said finally. From him, that wasn't anything but an innocent question, and she didn't think her room had been too much of a mess the last time she'd seen it...

It wasn't. Ashley relaxed a little as she stepped into the room ahead of him. She'd been spending more and more time on the Megaship lately, and her room was relatively clean. There was even a carpet beneath her feet. She did kick a small pile of dirty clothes under the bed as she moved to sit down, but Andros didn't notice.

He was looking around again, showing the same fascination that he had with the rest of the house. Ashley glanced quickly around the room, trying to understand what it was that was so intriguing to him. She'd always found her sunflower-patterned wallpaper cheery, and the framed photos on the wall of her best friends had rarely failed to bring a smile to her face--but Andros seemed so completely enthralled that she doubted that was it.

"It looks like you," he said finally, and she laughed, unexpectedly pleased.

"That's nice of you," she said, smiling as she patted the bed next to her. "Come sit down."

He did, not quite sitting next to her but close enough. "I like it," he told her hesitantly, his fingers toying with a stray thread on her comforter. "Your house, I mean--it's... nice."

Ashley was ready to swear that he was blushing. "Thanks," she said, and tucked stray hairs behind her ear absently. "So, what did you think of the park?"

Andros wrapped the loose thread around his finger once before answering. "It was nice."

She hid a smile as he continued winding that thread round his finger. "And the beach?"

"It was nice."

"Did you like that place we stopped for lunch?" she pressed, a smile forming despite herself. "I thought it was pretty good."

"I liked it." Andros nodded slowly. "It was nice."

Ashley poked his shoulder with a giggle. "It was nice," she mimicked. "Do you even remember where we went?"

"Of course I do." He cast her a vaguely insulted glance, and frowned. "We--"

"I was kidding," she told him gently, swallowing a smile when his cheeks flushed from pink to red. "Don't worry about it."

"I knew that," he muttered, and this time she giggled.

"I don't care," Ashley said seriously, reaching out to touch his hand. "Did you at least have fun?"

He nodded, a tiny smile on his lips. "I did."

"Good," she declared brightly. "That was the point. Now you can go work if you really want to."

"I... I'll go if you want me to--" he began, and she shook her head quickly.

"Not what I meant." Andros slowly unwound the thread from around his finger, and she continued. "Do you really want to go back to the Megaship?"

"Not really," he admitted, and sighed. "It just feels like I should be there."

"I know." Ashley could certainly empathize with that feeling, the overwhelming sense that no matter how much she did it would never be enough. "But even you need a break sometime."

"I know." Andros finally looked her in the eye, and she caught her breath at the intensity of his gaze. "I--thanks."

"Anytime."

She studied him carefully, wondering how bad of an idea it would be to hug him now. Ashley gave her head a shake; of course it was a bad idea, but with his hair loose and framing his face like that she couldn't think of why. He really was gorgeous, she thought with a barely suppressed sigh. And he seemed to have no idea.

"Ash?" Andros tilted his head at her in confusion, and it dawned on her that she was staring.

"Sorry," she murmured, feeling herself blush. "I was just thinking..."

"Oh." Andros nodded, and Ashley quickly looked away. She thought she could stare at him all day otherwise. "Ash?"

His fingertips brushed against her cheek tentatively, and Ashley felt goosebumps rise up on her arms. "Yes?"

"I... look at me for a minute?" he requested softly, and she did.

He bit his lip as he watched her, clearly torn. Ashley didn't know what it was that he was hesitating over, and she didn't have the chance to find out; there was a soft rap on her door then. They both jumped, and she swore silently.

"Who's there?" she called. Please be Jeff...

"It's me," her mother's voice answered, and Ashley groaned. "Can I come in?"

Ashley glanced at Andros. Whether they'd only been sitting or not, her mom wouldn't be pleased to find him here. "Sure," she called back, shooting him an apologetic look.

"Ashley, I've got some clean..." Her mother's voice died away the moment her eyes landed on Andros, and Ashley tried not to grimace. This was going to be much worse than she'd anticipated, if her mother's slightly open mouth was anything to judge by.

"Mom, this is Andros," she said quickly, when her mother just stared. "He's a friend of mine. We were just saying goodbye."

"That sounds like a good idea," Lisa Hammond said quietly. "I want you downstairs in ten minutes."

Ashley winced as her mother dropped the pile of clean clothes on the ground just inside her doorway and then turned on her heel, leaving the door wide open as she disappeared. Andros shifted on the bed beside her, and she turned to face him awkwardly.

"Sorry about that," she muttered, running a hand through her hair. "But you should probably go now."

"I didn't mean to get you into any trouble," he said worriedly, and she couldn't help but smile a little.

"Don't worry about that." She shrugged. "It's just because you're a guy and we're alone, that's all. You didn't do anything."

"Your mother looked upset," he insisted, frowning as he stood up. "I'm sorry if I--"

"She'd be the same if it was TJ or Carlos or Zhane or any other guy," Ashley assured him, though she wasn't entirely sure. "You're sweet, but don't worry about it. It'll be okay."

"But--"

She shook her head. "It's nothing that you did," she repeated. "I'll see you on the Megaship later, okay?"

He nodded, smiling slightly as he flipped open his communicator. "Thank you," he said again. "I... had fun today."

"I'm glad." She smiled back at him, hugging him before she thought better of it. "I'll come see you later."

"I'll be there." Andros was holding her a little closer than strictly necessary, one of his hands lightly touching her hair.

"Andros," she murmured, almost positive that she felt him sigh.

He pulled back but didn't let her out of his arms. Ashley just stared at him, drowning in his soft eyes. The look on his face was peaceful, almost happy, and she could stare at him forever if he looked like that. She could probably stare at him forever if he didn't.

Andros moved forward slightly, and for once insane moment, Ashley thought he was going to kiss her. His arms dropped from around her, and he jerked away from her, his eyes closed as if he were in pain.

"Andros?" she asked softly, in concern as he shook his head. She reached out, but he flinched away.

"Ash..." He said her name quietly, making almost a plea. "I've never--I don't... I can't."

"Andros--"

"I should go," he mumbled. Andros wouldn't look at her as he turned back to his morpher, and he was gone before Ashley could open her mouth.