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

JasonLeeScottFan: Glad you liked it. Here's the next chapter.

CraneandFalconForever: Yes, they are. They won't figure out for a few more chapters but they are.

Ch. 26 New Mommy

It hadn't taken long for Ashley to regain Brytan's trust and now, two months later, they were closer than ever. Ashley was falling more and more in love with both Andros and Brytan but she kept her feeling hidden, in fear of losing them. Andros, although he would admit it to anyone, not even himself, was also falling in love with Ashley. His fear of losing Ashley, like he had Jenna, and also the slight feeling that he would be betraying Jenna in some way also kept his feelings at bay.

"Daddy?" Brytan asked, coming into Andros' room. "Are you okay?" Even at the age of two it was easy for Brytan to tell there was something wrong with his father.

"I'm just a littler sad, Bry," he replied, turning from the picture on his desk to look at Brytan. "It's almost Mommy's birthday and it always makes Daddy sad."

"Can we see her?" he asked and Andros nodded. "I make her a present." He smiled as his son ran from the room and couldn't help but think how proud Jenna would have been of him.

"Can I come in?" Karone questioned from the doorway. He nodded and tried to force a smile for her. "You don't have to pretend with me. I know you're hurt and I know you miss her." He tried to blink back the tears but when Karone wrapped her arms around him he couldn't find the strength to hold them back. As Karone rubbed small circles on her brother's back she wondered if he would ever be able to let himself fall in love again.

Meanwhile, Ashley was sitting at her desk trying to finish up some last minute homework. She sighed and tossed down her pencil as she looked at the clock and realized that in thirty minutes she had yet to complete a question. She didn't know why but she wasn't feeling like her normal, cheerful self. She was pulled form her thoughts by a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" she asked, trying to sound normal for whoever was on the other side.

"It me," Brytan stated. "I need you help." She got up and opened the door and smiled when she saw Brytan standing there with his arms full of art supplies.

"What's all this?" she questioned as she took some of the supplies from him and carried them into her room. Brytan didn't answer immediately, instead he glanced down the hallway both ways, shut the door, and told DECA to lock it.

"My Mommy's birthday is soon," he told her. "You help me make present, please?" She nodded and he answered her next question before she could ask it. "My Daddy's sad. You make him happy?"

"I'll go talk to him after we make your present," she promised. For the next hour they sat in the floor of her room making a wind chime for Jenna. "All done," Ashley stated as they put the last string on. "Now, we just have to let the paint dry."

"It's a secret," Brytan told her. "You not tell anybody."

"I promise," she replied. "Now, why don't you go play with your Uncle Zhane for a little while so I can talk to your Daddy?" Brytan nodded and rushed off to find his uncle. Just as Ashley stepped out of her room she bumped into Karone. "Hey, just the person I was looking for. Can I talk to you?" Karone shrugged and followed Ashley into her room.

"What's going on?" Karone questioned when she noticed Ashley seemed hesitant to talk.

"I've been feeling really weird today," she began. "Not like I'm getting sick or something bothering me but something different. Brytan came down here about an hour ago and explained that it's almost Jenna's birthday and that Andros is really sad. When he told me that it was like a light bulb went off in my head and I was wondering if there is anyway that I might be feeling what Andros is feeling?"

Karone, who had paled slightly by the end of her explanation, stuttered, "It's possible…but…I mean…it's not likely." She stopped to collect her thoughts. 'Why is this happening? I don't know if Andros can handle this.' "Let's me try this again. It is highly possible but it is usually people who are soul mates."

"Are you are you trying to say Andros and I are soul mate?" Ashley croaked out.

"I don't know any other was that this could happen," she answered, still shocked. "I think the best thing would be for you to go talk with Andros."

"Are you sure?" Ashley questioned. "I don't want to push him away."

"I don't think he'll push you away," Karone told her. "He may resist at first but you're the only one who can get through to him now." Ashley nodded and Karone excused herself, knowing that Ashley needed time alone to process the information she had given her.

Ashley didn't wait long to head down the hall to Andros' room. She was surprised to find his door open and as she stepped into the dark room she had a hard time locating Andros. She jumped when the door slid shut behind her but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she found Andros sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth, with tears streaming sown his face. She carefully walked over and sat on the ground beside him.

"Andros?" she questioned, carefully reaching out to hold him. When he didn't resist she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "It's okay. What's wrong?" When he didn't answer she focused on calming him down.

What seemed like an eternity later Andros finally spoke, "Thanks, for staying. I guess I owe you an explanation."

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," she told him.

"I want to tell you," Andros whispered. "The last pink ranger, Jenna, was my girlfriend. Well, I guess she was actually my wife. She's Brytan's mother. During a battle on KO-35 she came down to save a group of children. Darkonda and Ecliptor killed her. She lived long enough to see Brytan and to tell me to take care of him." By now the tears were once again streaming down his face and down Ashley's as well.

"I'm so sorry," Ashley stated. "I wish I could do something to help."

"You listened," he told her, finally managing to control his tears. "That was enough to help more than you will ever know."

"Can I ask you something?" Ashley asked several minutes later. Andros nodded and she continued, "I know it's going to sound completely crazy but I talked to Karone and she said I should talk to you." She paused to built up her courage and he smiled a little to encourage her. "Okay, lately I've been feeling weird. It's like I feel sad for no obvious reason. So, when Brytan came to my room earlier he told me a little about his mom's birthday being soon I thought maybe I was feeling some of what you're feeling. I asked Karone and she told me it was possible but usually only for…"

"Soul mates," he finished in a whisper. Ashley nodded and waited for him to continue. "I can't believe this! Why is this happening to me?!" Ashley just stood there listening as he started yelling in a language she had never heard. She wasn't sure whether he was mad or just sadder because of this explanation.

'Andros," she began when he finally stopped rambling, "what's wrong?" When he didn't answer her and kept pacing, she stepped in front of him and he ran into her. "Andros!" He finally looked at her and she saw the turmoil of emotions in his eyes, the same ones that were running through her. She continued to look into his eyes and her brain seemed to stop functioning. Neither of them knew who moved but as their lips touched it was like electricity surging through them. Their hands wondered over the others body before coming to rest in the others' hair.

"Daddy? Ashley?" a voice questioned from the doorway causing them to jump apart. "What you doing?" Ashley quickly excused herself leaving Andros to explain things to Brytan. "Ashley be my Mommy?"

"What?" Andros asked, not knowing where his son would've gotten that idea.

"Uncle Zhane say that to Aunt Karone," Brytan told him.

"I don't know if she will be your Mommy or not, Bry," he explained. "Maybe she will be." 'I sure hope so,' he added to himself.

A/N: Please Review!