Reflections on Love part 2 : Ashley/Zhane : Fleeing love
Disclaimer: The Power Rangers belong unfortunately to Saban. Only the plot and the non existing characters are mine!
Authors note: Again a long wait for update, school was busy and I went on holiday to Spain a few weeks. Sorry about that! Important note: Part 3 of ROL will be up soon. I've changed the plot, and ROL 3: A/A will NOT be a sequel to this story. I will explain my reasons for that in the last chapter of this story and the first of my next story.
A/N 2: I want to ask the people who've put this story on alert and aren't reviewing, to review. It's really frustrating knowing that people are reading your story, but aren't reviewing. I'm really looking forward to know what you think of this story, and reviews stimulate me to write. Those of you who already have reviewed, THANKS!
Review responses:
Alexandra Khayman: You're crazy, but I love you anyway :P sorry for the long wait! Yeah, I love M&M's, but if I had to choose between M&M's and Zhaney…it would be an easy choice!
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Thanks honey, I appreciate it so much that you review my stories even when you're no. 1 A/A shipper. Yeah sorry, well, Andros will get his chance in part 3 :P grins
Pureangel86: Yeah, evil me huh?! I was kinda evil writing that…poor Andros, it's just so much fun 'teasing' him like this!
JainaSolo18: Thank you so much, your reviews are always so kind and sweet, I love them! And I'm glad you love my story. It sure has been a while that I updated, heck it has been months, but real life, as you know, has priority no. 1! Hope you like this, it's a boring chap but it has to be written! The next one will be more exciting.
HopelessRomantic45: Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it! Hope you will like this one as well.
Brainwave: Thanks so much for your review! Yeah sorry, I kinda tricked you all about that..poor Andros!
Chapter 8: Taking care of her
When the teleportation lights released him, Zhane carefully transported Ashley on the examination table. His heart shattered when he looked her over.
Bruises and scratches everywhere on here body, one of her eyes was swollen and her left arm hung in an unhealthy angle.
The silver ranger felt the anger pulsing through his veins when he thought of what that bloke had tried to do to his girlfriend. He quickly shook those thoughts off, Ashley was safe now and treating her injuries came first.
"Aie Aie Aie Zhane, what happened?" Alpha waddled into the infirmary.
"Some guy tried to take advantage of Ashley on the Halloween Party in the Surf Spot." Zhane answered while running the scanner over his girlfriend.
Alpha helped him and checked Ashley's vital signs, since she was still unconscious.
"Well Deca?" Zhane asked the AI when he was done scanning. He sat close to Ashley, stroking her soft hair and holding her hand, that unconsciously had gripped his.
"Ashley was lucky that she was found so quickly. She has got a mild concussion, a dislocated elbow, a few bruised ribs, several bruises and a gash on her upper leg that has to be treated." The computer told him.
"I suggest you give her a light sedative, treat her injuries and when she wakes up you should give her a painkiller." She continued.
Zhane nodded and started pulling out bandages and other first aid supplies from the infirmary cabinets.
Alpha injected the sedative, and together, Zhane and the robot put Ashley's elbow back in place and cleaned and bandaged her wound and ribs.
"That's all we can do for her now." The little robot patted him on the back. "The power will heal her in a few days."
Zhane nodded and concentrated on Andros.
Andros was making his way through the partying crowd, searching for the others. Finally he spotted Carlos, TJ and Cassie on the edge of the dance floor.
He walked down the stair towards them, adrenaline still cursing in his body. He stopped abruptly when Zhane's voice entered his head.
'Andros, Ashley will be fine. She's got a mild concussion, a dislocated elbow, bruised ribs and many other bruises, but none of her injuries are dangerous.'
'Well, that's good news. I'll inform the other and I will come back to the ship then.'
And then the connection between the Karovan men was closed.
"Hey Andros!" Cassie had spotted him and was waving cheerfully at him, obviously on the edge of being drunk. "I see Ashley found you, but where is she? And where's Zhane?" she giggled.
"Probably making a romantic stroll on the beach." TJ grinned wickedly.
"No guys, something happened." Andros told them seriously.
Gone were the signs of being drunk on his fellow rangers, and they came closer to Andros. Carlos had an anxious look on his face and TJ and Cassie looked shocked.
"Ashley…she came looking for me on the beach, but she was…she was attacked by some guy before she could find me." He told them, the emotions clear in his voice.
"WHAT? She was RAPED?" Carlos exclaimed in fury, his fists clenched.
"No, luckily Ashley was able to protect herself from that until I arrived there. But he has hurt her, and I don't want to think about what had happened if I hadn't heard her screams." Andros' voice trailed off.
Cassie was pale and in tears. "I wanna see her, is she all right?" she asked.
"She's been lucky, she's got a mild concussion, a dislocated elbow, some bruised ribs and some other bruises. But she'll be fine, Zhane's with her." Andros answered, but he couldn't hide his concern for the yellow ranger in his voice.
"Let's go back to the ship then." Carlos said. The others nodded and followed him through the crowd towards the exit of the Surf Spot.
On the Megaship, Zhane was still sitting by Ashley's side.
"Ash..come on, wake up babe…." He whispered, while softly stroking her bruised cheek.
Ashley stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Unfocused, she noticed that her arm was in a sling and her head HURTED.. She looked confused at Zhane and then realization dawned on her.
"Oh God!" She exclaimed, trying to sit up.
"Shhh…you've got to lay down Ash, you've got a mild concussion." Zhane gently forced her down on the bed again.
Silent tears ran down the girls cheeks. "Oh god." She repeated. "Zhane..he..Mark..has he…please no…has he?"
Zhane understood the unspoken question immediately. "No Ash, he hasn't." he assured her. "But..well..he has tried to, and that's bad enough already."
Relief washed over Ashley's face. "If it wasn't for Andros and you.." her voice trailed off.
"Don't think about that sweetie, you're safe and I'll make sure he will never touch you again, okay?" the silver ranger said.
Ashley nodded her head weakly and she tightened her grip on her boyfriend's hands. A single tear escaped from her bruised eye.
"I'm supposed to fight monsters and villains everyday, but I couldn't handle a mere human by myself!" she wailed, groaning when it increased the throbbing pain in her head.
Zhane reached out to her, stroking her arm, ready to let go if she would flinch, but she didn't. "It's not your fault Ash..don't you think that! Sometimes humans are more cruel than the monsters we fight." He told her softly, the normal mischievous glint in his eyesd completely gone.
"The others are on their way." Deca suddenly announced.
Zhane shot a grateful smile ah the AI. Even though she was only a computer, Deca cared for the rangers, and for Andros and Ashley in particular.
For some reason, he and TJ were the ones that always came across the negative sides of Deca, and he couldn't understand why. He quickly shook off those thoughts, the announcement of the others coming was a warning to prepare Ashley for the sudden arrival of people around her bed.
And indeed, barely three seconds later, Cassie stormed into the medical bay, TJ, Andros and Carlos hot on her heels.
"Ashley! Oh god, Ash!" Cassie stared at her bruised friend, mascara tears dripping on her cheeks. She moved to the other side of the bed and stroked Ashley's hair.
"Are you okay?" Carlos had reached the bed, a concerned look in his dark eyes.
Ashley nodded slowly, wincing when she moved her left arm. "I will be." She answered, her voice slightly wavering.
"Who did this to you honey?" TJ had to ask, his dark eyes full of love and sorrow for his friend and team-mate.
"It was Mark…Mark Jennings." She managed to get out before bursting into a new weave of tears. "It was horrible, I was so scared, I tried to fight him but he was so heavy and I just couldn't get him off me.."
"I kill him." Carlos growled in anger, slamming his fist against the wall.
Andros came closer to the bed.
"Andros, if it wasn't for you…thank you so much." Ashley looked straight into his hazel eyes, her own big brown ones full of pain.
Andros swallowed down the lump in his throat. His heart ached for her. "There's nothing to thank me for Ashley…I just wish I'd gotten there sooner…" Andros said, looking down to the floor.
"Ash, I think it's the best for you to take a painkiller and sleep, you're exhausted." Zhane told her gently.
"Yeah…but can I please sleep in my own room? I hate this place!" Ashley said.
Zhane looked at Alpha. "Aie Aie Aie, she is in no immediate danger, but she should lay down, take her medication and sleep!" Alpha instructed.
Zhane rose form his seat and carefully took Ashley in his strong arms. "Are you okay? Am I hurting you?" he asked her uncertainly.
Eyes closed, her head against his chest, he felt her shaking her head, so they set foot to her quarters.
"We will leave you now Ash," TJ said, gesturing towards Carlos, Andros and himself. "Take care sweetie."
"Thank you guys for being here," Ashley softly told her friends.
"We're always here for you Ashy…sleep tight," Carlos said with a loving smile.
"I'm in the room next to you, so if something's wrong or you need anything, just bang on the wall," Andros added.
Ashley smiled. "Thanks guys." And the boys, with the exception of Zhane, left the room.
"We need to get you out of these clothes," Cassie remarked. Ashley was still dressed in her bloodied en ripped Halloween costume.
Zhane nodded, and made his way out of the room, giving Ashley the privacy to get changed.
"Zhane?" Ashley called after him.
Zhane turned in the doorstep.
"When..when Cassie helped me to change…would you..would you come back here?" she asked shyly.
"Of course Ash, I'll come back if that's what you want," Zhane gave her a reassuring smile before leaving the room.
Cassie tore her Tinkerbell wig of her head before sitting next to Ashley on the bed. "Now sweetie, let's get you out of these clothes."
Ashley nodded, grateful for the presence of her best friend. They knew each other so well that she didn't feel uncomfortable with Cassie helping her to change.
Cassie wiped the make up off Ashley's pale face with make up remover wipes, before searching through the drawers from something warm and fluffy to wear for her friend.
Carefully with her injuries, the pink ranger helped Ashley in a pair of boxers, a yellow, fluffy sweatpants and a yellow tank top.
"Okay Ash, Zhane will bring you your medication and you should rest then. Take care honey, and you know where to find me if something's wrong." The Korean girl kissed her cheek and left the room.
Zhane came inside with a plastic cup with a bright yellow liquid in it. He had also changed in a grey sweatpants and shirt. "Here Ash, drink this."
Sitting next to her on the bed, Zhane helped her into a sitting position.
With a nasty look at the cup and him, Ashley drank the medicine and lay down again. "Zhane? Could you…would you…stay with me tonight?" she asked softly.
Zhane looked surprised. "Of course I will Ash…but promise me that you tell me the moment you feel uncomfortable, I'll leave immediately then."
Ashley nodded. "It's not you of who I am afraid Zhane…I trust you, and I need you now…" she said, her voice no louder than a whisper.
Zhane nodded, again a lump formed in his throat. He carefully lowered himself next to her on the bed, giving her all the space to pull away.
But Ashley didn't, she laid her head on his chest and clung to him like he was a lifeline. Zhane felt her trembling and his shirt had started to become wet from her silent tears.
He loosely draped one arm around her, and with the other hand he stroked her hair. The normal cheerful boy sighted and tried to control the sudden anger inside him.
Ten minutes later, Ashley's steady breathing told him the she was asleep. Zhane hadn't told her that there had been a sedative in the painkiller as well.
It was for the better, he decided. Ashley wouldn't be plagued by nightmares and she would heal faster that way. With one last glance at his sleeping beauty, Zhane slowly drifted off to sleep himself…
In the room next to Ashley's, a certain stripey red ranger was still wide awake. The horrible images of that night were replaying themselves in his head over and over again.
He had been so scared, scared to loose Ashley, and the same feeling, a combination of anger and sadness he had after Karone was kidnapped washed over him once again.
The guilt was gnawing on him, it wasn't an unknown feeling for him, he thought bitterly. If he hadn't been so stupid, if he hadn't reacted as an idiot with Ashley on the dance floor and if he hadn't fled to the beach, none of this would've happened.
The handsome boy kept tossing and turning until finally exhaustion took over.
A/N: This chapter is a belated birthday present for my dear friend Rosa. Sorry I'm late hun, my computer crashed completely and my brother was busy all day yesterday to repair it. I hope you had a nice birthday with lots of presents! Love ya!
A/N 2: Sorry for the boringness of this chapter, the next one will be more exciting. Still, Read & Review please! Love ya all!