Summary: 'You're the only truth I know, you're the road back home.' After years apart, Andros and Ashley can finally start building their life together with their children. Sequel to Secrets Untold.
Tal: Yes, congratulations on that. I'm so proud. Little Tal is growing up and made her first kill.
Megarider: Let's get a few bottles of champagne while we still can. There won't be much reason to party before the end of this chapter. Chyler will wake up soon now. Luckily.
Titanium Ranger: Don't feel sorry for Zhane, he was asking for it!
Star Fata: The world is a really happy place… until now.
Phantom Rogue: Not poor Zhane! Glad you liked my sickeningly sweet last chapter.
C.C.C.: All good things have to come to an end sometime. But I'm really glad you liked it.
Alexandra KHAYMAN: -drools- Well, here's more. Don't cry?
Tay: Chances of Andros being the baby's daddy are very slim.
Zeopurple: Yeah, well, Jari did save Andros.
PrettyDiva: Glad you liked it.
Slytherin-Angel44: It has to come to an end, sorry.
Johnny: Glad you see my point of few about Jari. That's exactly what I was thinking.
SweetSas: I know you love Zhane… but now you can't have kiddies with this one anymore. –grins-
PurpleLeopard: Thanks, I'm glad you like it.
The-power-of-love: Thanks, here's more.
Dragoneyes5000: Luckily, there's a few chapters more.
Riker15: Thanks.
Living Truth
Chapter 26: Just When…
Two and a half months had passed. Avidan was working hard in finding a new family for Jari, as were the authorities in charge. The only problem was that if they didn't find anyone willing and suitable within the next two weeks, Jari would go to Maura's parents after all.
Chyler was always over at Jonth's house, helping him baby-sit in the evenings when his parents were out or working – and hanging out with Jonth. At times it annoyed both Andros and Chris to the point where Chris felt like breaking something and blaming it on his sister so she would be grounded and have to stay in the house, and Andros sometimes felt like going along. Andros managed to keep quiet about it, but Chris often loudly voiced his thoughts about her being alone with her boyfriend. Chyler, of course, would then just calmly point out he did the same with Leigh, and Chris always protested it was different. Yet when Chyler asked how… he never got further than 'It just is'.
The twins could often be found arguing these days. Chris plainly refused to admit Chyler had a good point about him telling her off for doing the same thing he did. Though they agreed with him, Andros and Ashley never said a thing. Chris and Chyler were more than obviously falling apart and they didn't want to lose their daughter.
The thought of what their daughter could be doing frightened them a little, sometimes more than a little. Chyler was a sensible girl most of the time, but she had a history of rushed stupidities. The thought of Chris having sex was less disturbing somehow, perhaps because he and Leigh had been dating for six months already and were still going strong. Chyler and Jonth's relationship looked rather fragile.
"Chris?" A soft voice broke through his thoughts.
He didn't react, but kept staring out over the stormy waters. Dark clouds were steadily packing together over his head and thunder was rumbling in the distance. His own thoughts reflected the current weather.
"Are you okay?" Leigh asked softly, slipping her arms around his waist.
"I'm losing Chyler, what do you think?" He retorted softly, trying not to give into the tears filling his eyes.
"You'll be alright. You know you can't keep playing the almighty big brother forever. You've got to let her go and make her own life." Leigh told him quietly. "But if it makes you feel any better… she hasn't." After letting it sink into his mind and pierce the clouds with a ray of relief, she continued softly. "She sees your point, you know – you're both just too stubborn to admit it, and she won't give in until you do."
"You're right. I'll tell her I'm sorry as soon as I see her. Now how about getting back to your house, and having that extremely late dinner with your parents before the storm sets in?" Chris suggested, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and steering her back into the direction she had come from.
"Sounds great… oh! and there's something I have to tell you before we get there." Leigh grinned.
"And that would be?" Chris laughed.
"My parents are adopting Jari, or at least trying to. Dad always wanted one more kid, but mom refused to go through giving birth again. They both fell in love with cute little Jari ages ago, so they've been talking about it and just filed today after getting back from work. That's why they were so late."
"Later than usual, you mean." Chris laughed and Leigh grinned.
"Yeah, your granddad can be happy now. Jari's getting a great family." She smirked knowingly.
"And we can spoil him rotten too for saving my dad."
Leigh's laughter rang though the air and she gently poked his side.
"What's that?" Chris muttered, not reacting to her tease, distracted by something else.
Leigh looked up and saw it too. Two guys were arguing loudly with each other and already violence was playing a part. It wouldn't be long before they'd be rolling around the ground throwing punches at each other. They looked just a few years older than Chris and Leigh.
"Chris, you're not going to stop them, are you?" Leigh asked in a tiny voice.
"I'm a ranger, I have to." He replied. "Stay here, I'll be right back."
"Chris…" Leigh tried vainly, but he was already gone.
Her eyes never left him and she winced painfully when he suddenly got punched in his stomach. Whatever the guys had been fighting about was soon forgotten and they seemed pleased to have found a new punching bag. Tears sprung into her eyes when Chris fell to the ground, his groans reaching her ears and stabbing her every time she heard the pain in his voice. Desperately, she conjured images of her rushing in to save him, but she knew it was a futile hope.
When they finally stopped, tears were rolling down her cheeks in steady rivers. She barely noticed they were walking towards her now, though they hadn't seen her yet. If they did, they'd surely turn their anger on her. Almost manually she ducked into the nearest bushes and watched the two guys walk past. She barely kept from gasping when she recognized one of them; Jarnyr's older brother Fraz.
Only when she was sure they were gone, Leigh dared to leave her hiding place. Even more tears spilled down her cheeks when she fell to her knees beside Chris. His beautiful face was all black and blue, his nose looked off somehow, probably broken and judging by the red saliva dripping down his mouth, he'd been coughing up blood.
"Chris, please be okay." She muttered softly, taking hold of his hand. "Hang in there, someone will come. Please don't leave me."
With one hand she held his in a death grip while she used the other to soothe his hair out of his face, even though most were too short to stay tugged behind his ear or even reach it.
Rain drops started falling down now. Soon turning from individual drops to a curtain of water thundering down to the ground. Lightning crackled across the sky and thunder roared loudly above her head. Yet she didn't dare to get up to look for help or move Chris on her own.
It seemed like ages before she heard a vaguely familiar voice calling for her. She didn't reply, but soon enough the person calling out found her and Chris, both soaked to the bone now.
"What happened?" The voice asked, sounding scared and almost angry.
Leigh just looked up at her father with red puffy eyes, her face wet from both the rain and the tears still rolling down her cheeks. Her father didn't say anything for a moment, but then crouched down next to her and gently felt for a pulse on Chris.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. An ambulance is on the way. He's strong, just like his father."
It didn't take long for the ambulance to arrive after that. Leigh buried her face in her father's chest as Chris was put on a stretcher and lifted into the ambulance. Sobs now racked through her body, causing it to jerk violently.
"Do you want to go with him?" Her father asked softly, but Leigh shook her head furiously.
"I can't sit around a hospital and wait for news for him, dad." She cried. "I… I just can't. I hate hospitals."
Hammond residence
Ashley groaned as she looked through the window at the storm raging outside. Chris still wasn't home and she wasn't sure she'd want him coming home in this kind of weather either. She placed a hand on her growing stomach with a sigh, her mind repeating the same mantra. Only two more weeks until they could find out.
"Hey, he'll be just fine. He'll probably call any moment now to say he's staying over there for the night." Andros assured her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
"I'd feel much better if this little one would settle down already. It's as if something's horribly wrong and he or she knows it." Ashley sighed.
Andros rubbed her belly soothingly and kissed her cheek. She leaned into him happily, enjoying their closeness for a moment. Just then the door opened and Chyler walked into the room, holding a screaming Noah.
"Is Chris back yet? I'm all out of ideas to get him quiet. It's as if he can't sleep without Chris here."
Ashley reluctantly pulled out of Andros's arms and tried to soothe her distraught son.
A few moments later the comm went off and Andros smiled.
"See, what did I say? That's probably Chris asking if it's alright to spend the night at Leigh's because of the weather." He told Ashley, walking over to answer.
Ashley looked worried when Andros's face darkened a little. Obviously it wasn't Chris calling after all.
"Ranger Andros." The caller greeted formally. "I'm sorry to inform you that your son has been admitted to hospital. He was beaten up rather badly. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to come over immediately."
And at that moment, the whole world seemed to crash around them.
A/N: Okay, I hope you liked it even though I hurt Chris. Review and you might find out what's going on with him sooner.