Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter three of "Not Here III: Going Around." This chapter introduces Raylene, Ben, Kayla, and Gerald. I was originally not going to have Ashley's grandparents come back into her life. They were going to stay away. However, I thought adding them to the fic would make for some great drama. Stay tuned for chapter four.
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Chapter 3: Being Chatty/Shocking Appearance
Kinwon, Tykwa, Julian, and Tracy looked at pictures of Ashley in albums while sitting at the kitchen table ten minutes later. Kinwon and Tykwa were on the right. Julian and Tracy were on the left. Andros and Ashley were at the heads. Ashton poured coffee into a mug as Anna stood next to him. He returned the kettle to the coffeemaker. He added sugar and stirred the contents. He placed the spoon in the sink and took a sip. He gave an approved nod.
Kinwon and Tykwa chuckled as they looked at a picture of seven-year-old Ashley at the top of the third page in their album. The album was black on the front and red on the back. It had designs of dragons all over it. They could see a big smile on her face as she held up a fish she caught. She had her fishing pole in the other hand.
"Ashley looks so cute in this picture," Tykwa cooed.
"Fishing is just as big a sport on KO-35 as it is here," Kinwon said, glancing at the expectant mother. "Tykwa and I did it all the time before it was invaded by the Kerovan-Ouster and his army."
"Of course, I caught more fish than you did," Tykwa said, a snicker coming from her.
"No, you did not," Kinwon responded annoyingly.
Julian and Tracy rubbed their chins while staring at a picture of ten-year-old Ashley holding a pom-pom in the air on the bottom of the sixth page in their album. The album was a mixture of blue and green all over. It had twisting vines of flowers and birds going around it twice. They saw she was smiling widely. She held another pom-pom against her chest.
"Talk about Ashley being cute in this picture," Julian said with a soft sigh.
"It is obvious she was destined to be a cheerleader from this," Tracy added and patted the page.
"I was a cheerleader for several years," Ashley said, touching her stomach with both hands. She grabbed her tea-filled glass. She sipped a bit of it. She laid it down. "I gave it up after my sophomore year. I decided it wasn't for me anymore."
Andros tapped his fingers on the table. "It is not easy balancing extracurricular activities and being a Power Ranger. That's for sure."
"Carlos did that pretty well. He was a great soccer player throughout his junior high and high school years. We thought he was going to sign up for the soccer team in his senior year. We were shocked when he said he wouldn't. He said he was getting tired of it," Ashley explained.
"Julian and I have gotten tired of doing things we love several times," Tracy commented.
"It happens to just about everyone," Julian added truthfully.
"Yep," Ashley agreed.
Kinwon cupped his chin in his hand. "Absolutely."
Suddenly, the doorbell rang loudly. Everyone looked toward the front door. Ashton put his coffee down. Andros grabbed his coke-filled cup. He took a long sip of it.
"That must be your aunt Raylene, Ashley," Ashton said, walking past his daughter.
Ashley stood up and followed him. "I want to see her right now, Dad."
"Hey, don't forget me," Andros said, getting up as he put his coke down.
"The same goes for me as well," Anna added.
Ashton waved his hand toward himself. "Come on."
Andros and Anna followed Ashton and Ashley to the door. They and Ashley stopped short of it while Ashton went right up to it. He looked through the peephole, seeing Raylene standing before it. He unlocked the door. He opened it, a big smile crossing his face.
"Raylene, it is so good to see you," Ashton greeted while hugging his sister.
"It is good to see you too, Ashton," Raylene replied and gave her brother a hug. They broke apart. "Where are Andros and Ashley? I am eager to see them."
He motioned with his head toward inside. "They are right here."
Ashton stepped aside, allowing Raylene to come in. He closed the door and locked it. She approached Andros and Ashley. She clasping her hands together, a laugh coming from her.
"Hi, Aunt Raylene," Ashley greeted warmly.
"Andros, Ashley, you both look wonderful," Raylene complimented.
"Why, thank you," Andros said.
"Guess what?" Ashley said, showing off her ring.
"Oh, my word!" Raylene yelled in great delight. She touched her niece's hand. "You and Andros are getting married!"
"He proposed to me just before we came downstairs to have our pictures taken," Ashley replied, giggling happily.
"The ring is beautiful," Raylene said. "I am so happy for you."
Raylene embraced her niece and her soon-to-be nephew-in-law, as did they with her. They stayed this way for thirty seconds before breaking apart. Kinwon, Tykwa, Julian, and Tracy came into the living room. She glanced at the former two.
"You two must be—" Raylene started.
"I am Kinwon," Kinwon said, laying his hand over his heart. He gestured toward Tykwa, who smiled. "This is Tykwa."
"I am Raylene Hammond," Raylene introduced and shook each of their hands. "It is nice to finally meet you. I am sure you were tired after the long trip to Earth."
Tykwa nodded. "We were a little bit. Zhane showed us a diet coke after we got here. We tried it. We thought it tasted a little weird."
"He didn't blame us because he felt the same way when he tried it for the first time," Kinwon added. "We have come to enjoy this world's drinks, including tea and coffee."
"Of course, we are never going to get used to dressing like this," Tykwa commented, touching the side of her skirt.
"It's not a big deal. I don't dress this nicely often myself," Raylene admitted while pointing her fingers at her red dress that extended close to the floor. "I hate it when people dress like absolute slobs."
Andros let out a humorless chuckle while putting his hands on his sides. "Who doesn't? Ashley and I have seen women come into stores with curlers in their hair. It's ridiculous."
"Kinwon and I saw a woman like that when Julian and Tracy took us shopping for our dress clothes at Target," Tykwa grumbled, rolling her eyes. "We were shocked. They told it was an occasional occurrence."
"We may not have perfect wardrobes on KO-35, but we know how to dress properly. This is especially true for the weather," Kinwon commented, his hand curling into a fist.
Ashley held up her hand. "California is often warm while much of the nation is freezing its butt off in the winter."
Kinwon and Tykwa tried to hold back chuckles, but they couldn't help themselves. They remembered their third day on Earth. Andros, Ashley, Zhane, Karone, TJ, Cassie, Carlos, and Justin took them to the beach. They loved how warm it really was. They enjoyed watching Andros and Zhane catch waves on their surfboards.
"Andros and Ashley told us you run a store and own a cabin in the mountains north of Angel Grove," Tykwa said.
"Yes, I do," Raylene admitted. "I enjoy running the store. It is my life. I love the solitude the cabin brings me."
"It is nice to get away from densely populated areas once in a while," Ashton said, coming to the others along with Anna. He touched her shoulder. "Carlos's uncle Aaron owns a cabin in the same area. It is much bigger than Raylene's is. Carlos took his friends there for spring break. Mike and Maya stayed only the weekend because they had to get back to college. They had their spring break before then."
"Maya's stay on Earth is nearing its end. She has not decided if she is going to stay or go back to Mirinoi. That is where she is from. She traded places with Elsa Carver in the planet exchange program," Anna added.
"We heard about the planet exchange program. It is good to know Andros and Ashley have a friend from another world," Kinwon answered with a soft laugh.
"I have a feeling Maya will decide to stay on Earth. She is very much in love with Mike. He feels the same way about her," Andros commented in much seriousness.
"It is hard to say goodbye to friends, but the memories will always remain," Tykwa murmured, sighing sadly as she remembered the goodbyes that she and Kinwon shared with Andros, Zhane, and Karone when they decided to live on Earth permanently.
"Homesickness will come in our lives at some point," Ashton said, folding his hands and placing them against his lap.
"That is a feeling we know all too well, Ashton," Kinwon whispered, glancing at Tykwa.
"Yes, it is," Tykwa agreed.
"Anyway, let's head into the kitchen and look at more pictures of Ashley as a kid," Julian suggested. He and the others went to the kitchen.
00000
Kinwon, Tykwa, Julian, and Tracy laughed as Andros told them about Ashley throwing an apple at his head during a bad mood swing when she was six months pregnant a little over an hour later. They were seated in the same places at the table as before. Raylene drank orange juice from a glass near the refrigerator. She smacked her lips before running her tongue all over the inside of her mouth. She blinked three times and proceeded to drink more.
Ashton poured more coffee into his mug in which he had already added sugar to it and placed a spoon in it. He returned the kettle to the coffeemaker. He stirred the contents and laid the spoon on the counter. He sipped his coffee as Anna came to his side. He nodded in approval while eyeing her. This caused her to smile. Raylene set her glass on the counter next to the refrigerator before clearing her throat.
"The apple missed my head by mere inches. Mr. Hammond came into the kitchen and held up his hand. He caught it easily," Andros said.
"Talk about fast reflexes," Tracy said, propping her head up with her elbow.
"You have to have such a thing when you are a Power Ranger," Kinwon added, eyeing Andros and Ashley. "These lovebirds have some of the fastest reflexes I have ever seen."
"Sometimes, you have only a split second to make a decision in the heat of battle," Tykwa said honestly.
"That applies to many situations in life. It's not just in battle," Tracy murmured.
"Of course," Ashton agreed. "No one should forget that."
Anna was about to say something when the doorbell rang. She and the others looked toward the front door. Ashton scratched his ear, a look of confusion forming on his face.
"Were we expecting any other visitors, honey?" Ashton wondered.
"No," Anna said, looking at him. She appeared to be just as confused. "It's probably kids who thought it'd be funny to ring the doorbell and run away."
He rubbed his hands together. "I will go check it out."
She touched his arm. "I will go with you. The others can stay here."
Ashton and Anna made their way to the door. He looked through the peephole. He saw Ben, Kayla, and Gerald standing before it. He let out a shocked gasp. She furrowed her brow.
"What is it?" Anna wondered.
"Our parents are here," Ashton whispered, his heart skipping a beat as he glanced at her.
"What?" Anna asked shockingly. She shook her head so rapidly that it appeared to be a blur. "I can't believe it."
"I do remember telling them the date of the high school graduation before the chaotic Christmas visit," Ashton admitted and scoffed to himself. He flared his nostrils. "I didn't think they would show up after issuing that cruel ultimatum to Ashley."
"It seems that they had a change of heart," Anna responded. "That doesn't mean we will just welcome them back with open arms and act like nothing happened."
"Right," Ashton said, sighing heavily. "Here goes nothing."
Ashton unlocked the door and opened it rather slowly. Ben raised his eyebrows as his son finished that. So did Kayla and Gerald with theirs. Ashton kept his hand on the doorknob.
"Son, what in the heck is with you opening the door so slowly?" Ben asked. "You're wasting time before Ashley's graduation."
"Forgive me, Dad. I just didn't expect you, Mom, and Gerald to be here," Ashton snapped quietly.
"Watch your tone, son," Kayla retorted while pointing her finger at him.
Anna came to her husband's side, anger showing on her face. "Kayla, you have no right to tell your son that after what you, Dad, and Ben said to our daughter five months ago."
"Darling, you don't have to believe this, but we felt bad about what we said. We are very sorry. We should not have said marriage or adoption for the twins," Gerald said with a heavy sigh.
"You shouldn't apologize to us. You should apologize to your granddaughter," Anna responded with a huff. "You hurt her way more than you hurt us."
Ashton moved his other to hand his wife's shoulder. "She's right. In fact, you could've done this much earlier. Graduation is stressful enough as it is, especially for her."
"Mom, Dad?" Ashley called, coming into the living room. Andros was right behind her. They stopped next to the coffee table. "What's going on?"
Ashton sighed while looking down at the floor. He didn't want his daughter to be shocked. He decided it was not worth to keep anything from her. He and Anna stepped aside and waved their hands forward. Ben, Kayla, and Gerald walked in, causing the expectant parents to let out shocked gasps. They stopped before them.
"Hello, Ashley," Kayla greeted.
"What in the hell are you three doing here?" Ashley demanded sharply.
"Don't take that—" Kayla started.
"Don't you dare tell her to watch her tone, Mrs. Hammond!" Andros interrupted angrily. "She has every right to be angry with you for showing up out of the blue. She told me everything you said to her."
"What are you doing here, Andros?" Ben wondered.
"I live here now, Mr. Hammond," Andros responded, firmness lining his voice. "I moved in with Ashley and her parents sometime after you three left town."
"You should not be—" Kayla started.
"Don't even think about saying it is wrong, Mom!" Raylene shouted, stomping to her niece's side. She saw Kinwon, Tykwa, Julian, and Tracy come into the room and move to in front of the couch in the corner of her eye. "He wanted to move in, so he could tend to his fiancée's needs."
"Fiancée?" Gerald asked confusingly.
"Yes," Andros said, nodding in a slow manner. "Your granddaughter and I are now engaged. We plan to marry after the babies are born."
"It is nice you are engaged now, but it would be better if you have the wedding before their birth," Kayla suggested.
"By the way, we are very sorry for what we said," Ben apologized seriously. "We were way out of line. We want to see you graduate and be part of the twins' lives now."
Ashley looked away, an angry sigh leaving her mouth. She laid her hands on her stomach. She could feel the twins moving against them. She sniffled, a tear falling from her eye. She made eye contact with her grandparents.
"While I appreciate you apologizing to me for what you said, you could have done this months ago. Better yet, you could have called and said you would be coming into town," Ashley said bluntly.
"We wanted to surprise you, honey," Kayla insisted gently.
Ashley chuckled humorlessly. "If you expect things to be the same as before, Grandma, you're wrong. It will take me a very long time to get over what you three said to me."
"We understand that," Gerald commented. "We will do everything in our power to redeem ourselves."
"We promise," Ben added.
Andros narrowed his eyes at the trio. "You should never make promises you can't keep."
Ashley walked off while letting out a loud huff. She headed upstairs with Andros right behind her. Everyone watched them until they were gone. Kinwon stepped forward with a sharp exhale.
"Ashley is right. You should not have shown up without notifying her first," Kinwon said.
"Who are you?" Ben wondered as he, Kayla, and Gerald turned to him.
Kinwon sighed. "My name is Kinwon."
"I am Tykwa," Tykwa added. "We are from KO-35. We are good friends of Andros, Zhane, and Karone. We came to Earth, so we could see them graduate. Julian and Tracy are allowing us to stay with them until we leave."
"That won't be for another week," Kinwon commented.
"My name is Ben Hammond. This is my wife, Kayla, and our brother-in-law, Gerald Humphrey. We are from Boston," Ben responded and shook each of the duo's hands. Gerald and Kayla followed suit.
"Andros told us about you once," Gerald said while slipping his hands into the pockets of his gray jacket. "It is good you came to see him, his sister, and his best friend graduate."
"Thank you," Tykwa replied with a slow nod. She became very serious as she placed her hands on her sides. "Anyway, your sudden appearance has likely put a bit of stress on Ashley."
"That could endanger the twins," Julian said, scoffing in irritation. "She won't be due for another eight weeks."
Tracy clenched her teeth. "Not a single soul was expecting you to show up, not even TJ's grandfather."
"Andros told us about what you said to Ashley. That was very cruel of you," Kinwon said, a hint of anger lining his voice.
"You're right, Kinwon," Ben agreed. "At the same time, you should understand we are old school. Times were different back then. You were expected to marry before having a child."
Tykwa huffed. "Old school is no excuse for being cruel to your own grandchildren."
"On KO-35, we do not care if parents have their children out of wedlock. They are no different from those born within the bounds of marriage," Kinwon explained sternly.
"Teen marriage is not frowned upon there. It sucks it is frowned upon here. We would be glad to take engaged teen couples to our world, so they can marry without a fuss," Tykwa said.
Raylene narrowed her eyes at her parents and father-in-law. "Since Ashley will not get over what you said to her for a long time, don't expect the same from any of us."
"In fact, we don't even know if she even wants you at the ceremony," Ashton said, sniffling.
"We need to attend, son," Kayla pleaded, looking at him. "It may be the only time we get to see her in a graduation."
Anna crossed her arms. "We will leave it up to her whether she wants you to attend or not. After all, she was the one hurt by you the most."
Ashton and Anna went upstairs. Kinwon, Tykwa, Julian, and Tracy walked into the kitchen. Ben, Kayla, and Gerald approached the couch and seated themselves.