Chapter 2: Life has Changed

Ashley was sitting in her homeroom class drawing designs into her notebook. Ever since their time on Terra Venture, Kendrix's death, and everything else that had happened the last thing Ashley wanted to think about was her finals. She hadn't seen or heard from Andros ever since their break up. Pulling her pencil back, she realized she had written Andros's names over thirty times on her notes.

The bell rang, forcing her to close the notebook. Getting up, she left the classroom. "Hey," Cassie called out. Ashley looked at her.

"Hey," she answered.

"You seem off, you okay?" Cassie asked.

Ashley shrugged. "I know he and I fight all the time about his secret keeping and everything, but…I can't help but miss him," she replied softly.

Ashley rubbed her forehead. "But he hurt me, he lied to me, he had his best friend deliver his messages that he's going on a mission. He should be telling me these things himself, not sending messengers," she told Cassie.

"I know," Cassie answered.

"Then why do I feel like shit for being mad at him?" Ashley asked.

"Simple, you love him even though he drives you crazy," Cassie replied.

Ashley was quiet as she walked through the halls. "I do love him and he does drive me crazy," she said softly.

"I hear a "but",' Cassie stated.

"But, when he runs off like that, makes me worried…I don't know, it's just so painful to even think about him," she answered, "Loving him is painful, Cass. I don't get that part."

Cassie wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder and Ashley moved her arm around her waist as they walked down the hall together.

Later that night, Ashley was lying awake on her bed staring at the ceiling. She pulled her shirt up, her hand resting on her stomach. "God I'm so stupid," she told herself, sitting up. She put her head in her hands, standing up. Walking over to her dresser, she picked up the white stick that was sitting there and felt the air leave her lungs. "No oh no," she groaned, pressing her hand against her forehead, "What did we do?" she muttered.

Three weeks later, Ashley was sitting in the cafeteria at NASADA when Andros walked in with his data pad in hand. "I need you to check on the tests for experiment T1-850," he told the girl walking beside him.

"You got it," she answered as Andros handed her the notes.

Andros looked over to see Ashley sitting there waiting. Letting out a deep breath, he walked over to her. "Hi," he said with as little emotion as possible.

"Hi," she answered.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked.

"I'm not really hungry," she replied, "I'm good with the smoothie."

Andros nodded as he looked at the line of food. "You can get something for yourself, I can wait," she assured him.

"No, I have to get back to work," he replied as he pulled his chair out and sat across from her.

Ashley nodded. "How are you?" he asked. Ashley shrugged.

"I've been better," she replied.

Andros nodded his head slowly as he sat back. "How are you?" she asked.

"Been keeping busy," he replied.

She knew that was his way of saying he was trying to cope. "Why are you here?" he finally asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Ashley cleared her throat.

"I came here to talk to you about something important," she replied.

"Yeah, that's what your voicemail said," he stated.

Ashley pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, letting out a deep breath. "I never meant to hurt you," she murmured softly.

"You could've fooled me," he answered.

"You have to understand my point of view," she insisted.

"I do, apparently who I am is a shock to you," he answered.

"That's not why," she told him, "When you're in a relationship there has to be trust."

"You saying I don't trust you?" he asked.

"Stop putting words in my mouth," she hissed.

Andros gave her a glare. "If you're here to just open up barely scabbed wounds I'm leaving," he muttered as he got up to leave.

"No, wait," she answered, standing up.

Andros kept walking with Ashley going after him. "Andros, wait, wait, stop," she insisted.

"What?" he demanded, turning around.

Ashley let out a deep breath. "My brain is going a billion parsecs a second I would like just one Terran second to gather my thoughts because what I have to tell you is important and it's changing us forever," she answered.

"What?" he asked, "What is so important that you had to come down here and throw my flaws in my face?"

"I wasn't trying to do that," she insisted.

"That's how all our talks seem to go why do you think your calls all week have been going to my inbox?" he demanded.

"I know you're angry," she answered.

"That's not even the tip of the iceberg to how I feel," he seethed.

Andros looked at her. "Angry is the least of the feelings I have, so what do you want Ashley so I can go back to work?" he demanded. Ashley let out a deep breath, rubbing her hands together. "Forget it," he muttered.

"I'm pregnant," she called out.

Those words made him freeze and turned around. "Twelve weeks," she told him, "It's yours if there was any doubt." Andros stared at her. "Are you going to say anything?" she asked.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"Three weeks," she replied.

Andros nodded his head slowly, letting out a deep breath. "You're just telling me now?" he asked. Andros rubbed his forehead. "Shit," he muttered.

"You're telling me," she answered.

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Is there anything else you want to say?" she asked.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, for the most part," she replied, "I mean, college is going to be fun with a baby now."

Andros looked over at her. "What are you doing about that now?" he asked. Ashley nervously tugged on the edge of her shirt.

"I was…I was accepted into the fashion program in the London College of Fashion," she replied.

He frowned, letting out a deep breath. "So you're going?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," she replied, smiling a little.

Andros lifted his head, giving her his best fake smile. "I'm happy for you," he told her, "You worked hard."

"And we can work something out custody wise with the baby once he or she is born," she answered.

Nodding his head slowly, he pressed his knuckles against the wall. "Sounds good, I have to go back to work," he told her, "Call me if you need anything for the baby." With that, he turned on his heel, walking away.

Back at Cassie's apartment, Ashley sat down on the couch. "He just…he hardly reacted. He didn't start shouting, didn't say really anything," Ashley told her best friend, "He asked if I was okay, when I told him the plan I thought out he just agreed and walked away."

"Wow, talk about first time we met Andros personality coming out," Cassie commented as she sat on her chair.

"What do you think that means?" Ashley asked.

"I think he's in shock," Cassie replied.

Cassie grabbed a pretzel out of the bag. "I mean, it took you three weeks to get over the shock," she added. Ashley dragged her fingers through her hair. "I also think that man's still head over heels in love with you," she commented.

"You wouldn't think so with how he spoke to me today," Ashley answered.

"You two get on each other's nerves, that's how you two always worked," Cassie commented.

"What does that mean?" Ashley asked.

"He is the brooding, silent type and you are the 'let's just talk about it' type," Cassie replied.

Cassie grabbed another pretzel. "Honestly, I think he's handling this in the old fashioned Andros way," she stated simply.

"How are we going to raise this baby together if he's going to be this way?" Ashley asked.

"That's something you two better figure out, because like it or not you two are in each other's lives forever. There's a kid involved now," Cassie replied.

Ashley lied back on the couch, her hand resting on her stomach. "Yeah, forever," She muttered.

Andros was laying back on his couch, staring at the ceiling. "Are you sure?" Zhane asked.

"I didn't ask her to take a pregnancy test in front of me if that's what you're asking," Andros replied, "Besides why would Ashley lie about something like that?"

"Well you two certainly made a mess of things again," Zhane answered.

"Shut up," Andros muttered.

"How are you two going to raise a kid together when she's going to be on the other side of the ocean?" Zhane asked.

Andros ran his hand over his face. "I can't even think about that," he replied. He let out a deep breath.

"You're still in love with her," Zhane stated.

"Shouldn't you be bugging my sister or something?" Andros asked, getting up.

"I did that earlier," Zhane replied.

"Awesome, I have paperwork," he muttered, going into his room.

"I did all that already," Zhane called out.

Andros wanted to so badly to bang his head into the wall. "Andros, why don't you just go over and say how sorry you are and just work this thing out?" Zhane asked.

"I think that's what the three weeks' worth of phone calls I made after Terra Venture were all about," Andros replied.

Andros rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just going to bed," he muttered, going to his room, closing the door.

"You two will work it out," Zhane said with a smirk.