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

Ch. 8 He Hates Me

Three years had passed since Andros had been returned to his family and he was now doing very well. Both he and Karone were in school and doing extremely well. Andros still had the occasional nightmare but he didn't wake everyone up unless it was a very bad one. Over the years Ajax's job had become more and more demanding which put more pressure on him leading to him being stressed all the time. Bella had begged him to change jobs and Alden had even offered to get him a job at the hospital but he had turned them both down.

Not only had he refused their suggestions but he was also working many extra hours because it was only a week until the twins' birthday. At the moment Andros was in the kitchen trying to get Ajax to get him something to drink.

"Andros, you can get it yourself," Ajax stated. "I'm too busy right now."

Andros made his way to the refrigerator and carefully opened the door. He got the milk from the bottom shelf and placed it on the counter. He pulled a chair from the table over to the counter to stand on and climbed on it. He took the lid off his cup and the lid off the milk. He began pouring the milk and then his hand slipped from the jug. Milk ran all over the counter drowning Ajax's work papers and then into the floor.

Before Andros could react Ajax was pulling him from the chair and yelling, "Andros, look what you did! Why weren't you careful? Go to your room!" Andros ran from the kitchen up to the room he stilled shared with Karone. He was glad that his sister was gone with their mother to the store and began throwing clothes into his backpack. He tore a piece of paper from his notebook and wrote a note for his sister. He placed the note on her pillow and quietly made his way downstairs. He was glad to find his father had walked into the backyard and quickly made his way out the front. As soon as he cleared the door he began running, having no idea where he was going. HE soon found himself out in the pouring ran outside the hospital. He made his way to the Nurse's Station and a nurse quickly got him a towel and led his to his uncle's office.

"You just wait here," she told him. "Alden is with a patient but he'll be here as soon as he's finished." Andros nodded and made himself comfortable in a chair before falling asleep.

Meanwhile, at the Karovan household, Bella and Karone returned home with many birthday presents. They found Ajax where they had left him, hard at work. Karone hurried up the stairs to tell her brother about the presents that they were getting.

"How was your day?" Bella asked, wrapping her arms around her husband.

"Well, let's see," Ajax began sarcastically, "our son spilt milk all over the papers I had finished and now I have to do them all over again. Oh and my boss called and told me that I have to work on the twins' birthday so I had a wonderful day."

Any reply Bella may have given was forgotten as Karone came down the stairs and yelled, "Andros is gone!"

"What?" Both her parents exclaimed. Karone showed them the note Andros had left her. Bella read it quickly, her anger rising as she discovered the reason that Andros had ran away.

"You yelled at him for spilling milk?" Bella questioned angrily. "He's only four he needs help with things like that."

"I didn't think he'd do this," Ajax whispered. "I just had so much stress already and I just snapped." The phone rang in the other room and Bella hurried to answer it.

"Bella, it's Alden," the voice on the phone stated. "Andros is with me. He won't tell me what happened just that Ajax is mad at him." Bella quickly explained the situation, relieved that her son was safe. Upon her return to the other room Ajax and Karone looked at her with tears in their eyes. "He's with Alden. Now, my stubborn husband, go bring home our son." Ajax nodded and hurried to their hover car.

Meanwhile, at the hospital Alden was having a talk with his nephew. He had already changed Andros into some dry clothes and he was wrapped up in a big blanket, sitting in his uncle's lap.

"Your dad is on his way," he explained and Andros nodded slightly. "He's not mad anymore. In fact, I think he's sorry for yelling at you and I bet he was worried about where you were."

"Really?" Andros asked and his uncle nodded. "Is he going to take me home?"
"Yes," Alden replied. "Your mommy and Karone are waiting for you at home." Before Andros could ask anymore questions Ajax walked into his brother's office.

"Andros," he began, "we were so worried." Andros didn't reply and Ajax swallowed. This wasn't going to be as easy as he had originally thought. "Listen, I'm sorry for yelling at you. It wasn't your fault that you spilt the milk I should have helped you." Andros got down from Alden's lap and ran into his father's arms.

"Can we go home now?" Andros asked and Ajax nodded. He picked his son up and collected the backpack from Alden.

"Thanks for taking care of him," Ajax told his brother. Alden only nodded and watched as his brother and nephew left the room.

A/N: Please Review!