Never Let Go

Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers.

Summary: Sequel to "Can't Let Go." Read that first. After tragedy strikes, can Ashley and Andros find their way back to each other.

Pinkrangerfan: He'll be fine, I wouldn't do that to you all…or would I? Lol!

JasonLeeScottFan: Thanks! Here you go!

Kamenzie: Glad you like it! Here's more.

Chapter 1: One Year Later

Earth

"The Voyager II has made it safely to Earth exactly one year to the day after the tragic accident of the first Voyager's maiden voyage."

Ashley and Karone sat in the living room listening to the TV coverage of the Voyager II's maiden flight. "It's hard to believe that it's been a year." Karone spoke. She and Zhane had been living with Ashley ever since they moved to Earth. At first it had been to comfort Ashley, but now, it just didn't feel right being away from each other.

"I know." Ashley sighed. "But a lot of things have changed."

"Ava, no!"

Ashley and Karone glanced at each other when they heard Zhane's shouts.

"Zhane is everything okay?" Karone asked cautiously. She and Ashley both burst into laughter as Zhane entered the living room covered in green goo.

Ashley stood and took the very clean baby girl from him. "Did you have an accident, Ava?"

"I swear she does it on purpose." Zhane stated adamantly.

"She's just 5 months old Zhane. Her telekinesis is developing early." Ashley stated as she played with her daughter. Ava had been a surprise. Ashley found out she was three months pregnant on the day of Andros's funeral. She didn't know if she would have been as strong as she was if it wasn't for her little miracle. Her little piece of the man she loved. Still love. Ashley corrected herself. "You were just playing with uncle Zhane weren't you?" She cooed to her daughter receiving a wide smile in return.

"Andros's telekinesis developed early too." Karone started. She'd started to remember more and more about her life before she was kidnapped everyday. "I remember our mother saying he didn't like green things when he was a baby either." She laughed.

"Like father, like daughter." Ashley said to Ava.

"Yeah and he liked picking on me too." Zhane mumbled and headed upstairs. "I'm gonna go clean up."

"Sorry Zhane." Ashley called after him and looked at her daughter. "You've got to stop picking on your uncle. It's not nice." Ava frowned as if considering, causing Ashley to smile.

"I'll go get her more food." Karone volunteered. "No peas." She promised Ava.

"I'm taking her to the nursery, I think she needs a diaper change." Ashley headed to the nursery and quickly changed the dirty diaper. Her telekinesis played a big part in that. Ever since Ava was born using her telekinesis had become like second nature.

She lifted Ava off the changing table and sat in the rocking chair. "I wish your daddy could see how beautiful you are. What we created together." A stray tear fell down Ashley's cheek. "You have his eyes you know. That beautiful hazel." Ava reached up and put her tiny hand to Ashley's face as if trying to comfort her mother. Ashley turned her head and kissed Ava's hand. "He would have loved you, just as much as I do."

"Ash?" Karone called as she entered the nursery with baby food in hand. "I brought her carrots and apple sauce for dessert."

"Thanks Karone." Ashley shifted Ava to where the baby girl sat in her lap. "Open wide." Ashley cooed as she feed Ava.

"I now it still hurts, Ash." Karone said to the woman she still considered her sister. "I can feel your pain as easily as my own."

"Sorry." Ashley stated quietly. She'd been trying to keep her emotions from Karone and Zhane, but apparently it wasn't working as well as she thought.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I know you still love my brother, but…" It was hard for her to say, but it needed to be said. "Maybe you should think about dating again. It could help you get over Andros."

Being with any one else had never crossed her mind. "I don't think so Karone."

"It's okay, Ash. You deserve to be happy. Andros would want you to be happy."

"Who says I'm not happy?" Ashley smiled. "Andros made me happy, and Ava makes me happy now. And I will never love anyone the way I loved Andros. I'm not looking for anyone else because there isn't anyone else. Andros was it for me and I have a beautiful little girl from that."

Karone couldn't help but smile. She honestly couldn't picture Ashley with anyone but Andros either. "Okay. I'll leave it alone."

Later that night when everyone else in the house was asleep, Ashley stepped out onto her balcony and gazed at the stars, toying with the ring that still sat on her left ring finger. She'd done this every night since Andros had gone.

She only told half of the truth to Karone. She did know that Andros was it for her, but what she didn't tell Karone was that she felt another foreign presence in her mind. It was very faint and a little disoriented, but it was still familiar at the same time. Her heart wanted to believe that Andros was out there somewhere, but the logical part of her, said that it was impossible. And still…she hoped.

Taurus

Zavier watched Trenton and the young man they rescued wrestle in the yard. The young man had become much stronger over the time he spent with them.

They realized quickly that he remembered nothing from before they found him. Because he couldn't remember his name, they called him Rikai, Taurian for falling star. He didn't even remember how had gotten hurt and in the pod in the first place, but Zavier had a feeling that lately, the young man was starting to remember things.

They tried researching any shuttle accidents that happened near Taurus, but came up empty handed. Zavier didn't want to admit it, but he was glad they hadn't found anything. Rikai had become a part of the family. He worked in the family shop and he was exceptionally good with the repairs on the shuttles. But Zavier suspected that the real reason he was so attached to Rikai was because the young man reminded him so much of the son he lost.

"Come on boys, dinner time." Sondria, Zavier's wife, called as she stood next to her husband.

Rikai grabbed Trenton and sat the boy on his shoulders and ran to the people he called his parents. "He beat me again." Rikai stated, pretending to be breathless. "Then he made me carry him." Trenton simply laughed hysterically on Rikai's shoulders.

"Go get cleaned up for dinner you two." Sondria told them with a smile. She turned to her husband once the boys were in the house.

"I haven't seen Trenton that happy in a while…or you for that matter." She gently nudged her husband. She thought Rikai was a very handsome young man, with his dual colored hair and hazel eyes. She had to admit, Rikai being here had been good for her too. He reminded here so much of her son, Talon. "He's a special one."

"Yeah he is." Zavier agreed as he and his wife walked back into the house.

"I still can't believe that no one's looking for him."

"Let's not talk about that." Zavier didn't like thinking about Rikai leaving.

He and his wife made it to the dining room just in time to see Trenton and Rikai race to the table.

"I win again!" Trenton called as he sat in his chair.

Rikai came into the room and ruffled the 8-year-old's blonde hair. He looked just like his mother, with her shiny blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The little boy reminded Rikai of someone he had meet before, but he couldn't recall whom. "That's because you cheated."

"Did not!" Trenton argued.

"Alright you two, settle down." Zavier mildly scolded, but he couldn't help but smile at the same time.

"Okay dad." Trenton answered.

"Dinner looks great mom." Rikai complemented.

"It's a recipe I found on the comp. The planet it's from has a lot of the same natural resources that we do, except we're a little ahead of them technically. I wouldn't have known anything about it if it weren't for the IGC. They're really adamant about uniting the galaxies."

Rikai frowned at this information and Zavier noticed. Zavier was about to try and change the subject when Trenton spoke up.

"Do you remember the planet mommy?"

"I think it was Earth, or something like that." She answered.

The other three at the table turned their eyes on Rikai when his glass shattered on the floor. He'd gone pale and his hazel eyes were blank as they stared at nothing.

"Rikai, are you okay?" Trenton asked warily.

"Rikai?" Sondria put a hand gently on his shoulder, but he still didn't respond.

"Rikai," Zavier stood from his place at the table and rushed to Rikai side. "Come on son talk to me." He pleaded and cupped the young man's face in his hands. "Rikai."

Rikai gasped and focused in on the person in front of him. "Dad?"

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." He stammered. "I'm just tired. May I be excused?"

Zavier studied him before nodding.

Rikai all but ran to his room and collapsed on his bed. It was happening when he was awake now.

In his dreams he would see things, visions, maybe even memories. It tended to happen when someone said or did something that triggered something in his mind. But when his mother had mentioned Earth, it triggered something he couldn't fight and he saw her.

"Rikai."

He was brought from his thoughts as his father knocked on the door. "Come in." He called.

"I just wanted to check on you." Zavier responded and closed the door when he entered.

Rikai sat up and his father sat beside him on the bed. "I'm okay."

"What happened downstairs?"

"I'm not sure." Rikai lied.

"Son."

Rikai sighed. "I've been having dreams lately."

"For how long?"

"The past couple of months." Rikai answered guiltily.

"I see." Zavier sighed. "Memories?"

"No!" He answered too quickly. "I mean I don't know. Maybe." He stood and paced slowly as he spoke. "It was just flashes of things. Sometimes places. Sometimes people. But today was different. That's never happened before."

"I saw the look on your face when your mother mentioned the IGC, but it was Earth that triggered this wasn't it?"

"I think so." Rikai looked at his father. "I know this upsets you; we don't have to talk about it."

"Yes we do." Zavier answered gently. "We all know that you have a past. That you have another family somewhere out there."

"Why should it matter?!" Rikai snapped. "It's been a year. No one is looking for me, so why should it matter?"

Zavier saw the tears forming in his son's eyes, but he knew Rikai would never let them fall. He stood and moved to his son. "I know this hurts, but you have to think logically. Earth is in another system, Rikai. There might have been people looking for you, but no one knew to look this far away." He saw Rikai relax at his words. "And you also have to face the fact that they may believe that…that you didn't make it."

"Then maybe she's dead too." He stated softly.

"Who?" Zavier questioned.

"When mom mentioned Earth, a name came to mind. I don't know who she is, but the name seemed familiar."

Zavier knew. "Ashley."

"How'd you know?" He asked curiously.

"The night Trenton and I found you. The first thing you said was 'Ashley.' I figured the necklace you had in your hand belonged to her."

Rikai went to his drawer and pulled out the necklace with the very unique gemstone. "Maybe she is dead."

Zavier watched as Rikai visibly deflated. "Maybe not."

"I don't even know her, and that thought hurts more than anything."

"That stone's unlike anything I've ever seen. I know a jeweler in town. Maybe he can find where it's from and give us a hint of where you come from."

"You think so?" His eyes filled with hope.

"I do. You look exhausted." He told Rikai. "I'll go so you can get some sleep."

"Dad?" Rikai called before his father walked out the door. "No matter what happens, you, Trenton, and mom are still my family."

Zavier smiled. "I know. Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight." Rikai went to his window and sat on the sill. He looked out and gazed at the stars like he did every night since the accident. He wrapped the necklace around his hand so the gem lay in his palm.

He didn't tell his father everything; he didn't want to worry him. The dreams he had were filled with pain and fighting. Always fighting. He had a feeling that his life before now wasn't a very nice one…until tonight.

She was beautiful. Her smile, her eyes, everything about her. Ashley. He'd seen her face at the dinner table and heard her name resound in his head. "Where are you?" He whispered.

He didn't think she was dead. There was a constant twinge in the back of his mind. It was strange and familiar to him at the same time. There was something else there too, it didn't seem familiar, but he felt connected to it anyway.

She had to be alive. He didn't want to think about the possibility of her being any other way. He didn't really know who she was, but he did know one thing for sure…he loved her.

(A/N: What do you think? I hope you liked it. Please read and review.)