Chapters:

Prequel

Ashley wandered through the corridors of the Astro Megaship, wondering what had become of the Rangers' reclusive leader. "DECA," she asked suddenly, addressing a tiny videocamera set into the wall near the ceiling, "where's Andros?"

The red light on the camera blinked on, and a calm feminine voice replied, "Andros is currently on the Bridge."

Ashley hesitated. He's probably in the middle of something… But she'd never know if she didn't ask. With new determination, she made her way to the lift and headed for the Megaship's Bridge.

The lift doors opened on a nearly deserted command center. A flash of red caught her eye, and she turned to see Andros, standing with his back to her at the auxiliary scanner console.

"Hey," she said quietly, not wanting to startle him.

He looked over his shoulder. "Hi, Ash."

She took a deep breath. "The others are down at the Surf Spot… Want to join us?"

As she had expected, he shook his head. "I've got too much to do here. But thanks anyway."

"What's so important?" Ashley asked, coming up behind him and resting her hands on his shoulders. She felt him tense at her touch, and tried to suppress a sigh. They'd been friends for more than a year, and officially dating for a week and a day. But the moments when he was truly relaxed around her were few and far between.

"I'm trying to recalibrate--"

His explanation cut off as DECA interrupted. "Warning--temporal anomaly detected off the starboard bow."

"Temporal anomaly?" Ashley repeated, puzzled.

Andros shook his head. "We'd better go check it out." Pulling away from her, he headed for the doors without a backward glance.

Ashley frowned, wondering if she'd done something wrong. She followed, catching up at the entrance to the Glider holding bay. "Should we let the others know?" she asked Andros's back, as they climbed to the upper level of the bay and took their places in front off their Jump tubes.

"We'll tell them as soon as we figure out what's going on," Andros said, and that was that.

He can't admit to needing help, even for something as minor as this, she thought, catching his eye. He nodded, and they whirled simultaneously, grabbing the bar above the chutes and swinging into them feet first.

A sparkle of gold and a surge of Power racing through her were the only clues Ashley needed to confirm her morph. The metal deck slid away beneath her, and she landed in a crouch on her Galaxy Glider just as the board launched into the void of space.

The anomaly was immediately visible--a dramatic vortex of green, like swirls of ionized oxygen against the starry backdrop. She glanced sideways, and saw the Red Astro Ranger at her side, all his attention apparently on the spatial whirlpool in front of them.

"Let's get a little closer," he told her, over the communicators embedded in their helmets. His voice came through with surprisingly little distortion. "See if we can get a better reading on this thing's energy signature."

"Right," Ashley acknowledged, sending a thumbs-up in his direction. She leaned forward to accelerate in the direction of the anomaly--

The vortex expanded abruptly outward, sparking green and racing toward them at an incredible speed. Before she could shout a warning, the anomaly had engulfed them, and she could see nothing but lightning green, feel nothing but the sensation of falling, spiraling downward…

Ashley blinked up into a cloudless blue sky, inexplicably disoriented. Where am I? she wondered, thinking there was something strange about the view but not able to pin it down more than that. And--why am I lying on the ground?

Andros's face entered her admittedly limited field of vision, and he smiled down at her. "Taking a nap?" he teased, offering her a hand. "I've been looking for you everywhere. Come on; we're going to be late."

She took his hand automatically, letting him haul her to her feet. He didn't step back to give her room, however, and she found herself staring into his eyes from only a few centimeters away.

"You look nice," Andros murmured, and her eyes widened. In the entire time that she had known him, Andros had never complimented her. She had seen it in his expression sometimes, but the words had never actually been spoken.

To add to her astonishment, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a casual kiss; gentle, but full of promise, and she knew instantly that it wasn't a first kiss.

What in heavens' name is going on here?

He drew back, a look of confusion growing on his face. "Ash? Is everything okay?"

She managed to nod. It wasn't true, of course--but this wasn't her Andros, and she didn't want to say anything until she had some idea who he was. "I'm fine; thanks," she told him, forcing a smile. He was on his way somewhere… "Why don't you go on ahead? I'll catch up in a minute."

He frowned at her. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Eyes narrowed, he asked, "That headache from this morning bothering you again?"

"No, I'm fine, really," she reassured him, just wanting some solitude and a chance to figure out what had happened. I was out with Andros, investigating some anomaly DECA had found… "I'll be along in a minute, all right?"

"All right," he agreed at last, clearly not convinced.

Watching him back away, she noticed that his expression had closed up. The smile had faded and the tenderness was gone--he looked more like the Andros she knew.

Andros, she thought, trying to look around surreptitiously. We were pulled into that vortex--if I'm here, what happened to him?

"Ashley?" A whisper made her whirl, and she found Andros standing directly behind her. At least, it looked like Andros. She couldn't make herself believe quite that easily, not after what had just happened.

"Andros?" she asked doubtfully, not sure how to phrase the question.

He saved her the trouble by nodding. "The same one that was pulled through a temporal anomaly with you."

Letting out a sigh of relief, she told him fervently, "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that."

"Are you?" he asked, eyes hooded, and his gaze flickered past her, in the direction the other Andros had gone.

She winced. "You saw that?"

He lowered his gaze--answer enough for her. "I guess I shouldn't be jealous of myself, huh?"

Ashley smiled, trying to contain her delight at his admission. "Oh, Andros…"

She clasped his hand, and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Ash, I know this isn't really the time, but--do you want to go see a movie tonight?"

Her smile widened. "You know I do." Glancing around, she added, "If we can figure out how to get out of here, that is."

"Or even where 'here' is," Andros agreed, following her gaze. "It looks a lot like Earth."

"But there's no sun," she pointed out, the strangeness she had noticed earlier finally crystallizing in her mind. "There's grass and sky, but no sun…"

The hand holding hers tightened on her fingers. "It's a colony ship," Andros realized, and she looked at him in surprise. "We took one like this to KO-35," he explained, and sadness settled over his face with the mention of his lost homeworld.

She squeezed his hand in return, wishing she could take that look off his face. "So why are you on it?" she asked, the memory of that kiss springing unbidden to the surface of her thoughts.

"The other me?" Andros shrugged. "I don't--"

"The anomaly," Ashley interrupted suddenly. "The temporal anomaly--Andros, we're in the future!"

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "The future?"

With some degree of asperity, she asked, "Does this look like the past to you?"

"Hey, guys!"

The hail came from somewhere behind them, in the opposite direction from the way the other Andros had gone. They whirled, afraid that someone had overheard them.

As Ashley got her first good look at this particular view, she could see structures some distance away that must house the people living on this ship. Cassie was just emerging from one of them, and she waved as soon and Ashley and Andros turned.

Glancing at Andros, Ashley waved back. "What else can we do?" she whispered, in answer to his expression. "As far as she's concerned, this is our time too. Do you expect me to yell, 'sorry, I'm not who you think I am, but nice to see you all the same'?"

"We can't interfere in the future," Andros insisted. "We don't belong here. We can't go around disturbing things."

"Wouldn't it be more of a disturbance to ignore her?" Ashley reasoned quietly, but Andros only shrugged.

Cassie was coming toward them now, trailed by someone Ashley didn't recognize. With dark hair and a black tunic, his stance did look vaguely familiar, but she was sure she had never seen the face before.

She gave Andros a nervous look, but the Pink Astro Ranger and her companion from the future were within earshot before they could exchange any more words. "Hi!" Cassie greeted them as she approached. "Shouldn't you two be at the ceremony already?"

Ashley didn't wait to see if Andros would answer. "Shouldn't you be?" she countered, smiling tentatively at the best friend she had seen only this morning.

Cassie laughed, linking her arm through Ashley's. "Yes--but Saryn heard from home just a few minutes ago, and I waited while he talked to his sister. I figured a call from a sister was something Andros couldn't get upset about," she added, with a knowing smile in Andros's direction.

Ashley saw Andros stiffen, and she spoke before he could. "Of course not," she assured Cassie, wondering what could prompt her friend to say something like that. Has Kerone been found since our time? She sincerely hoped so--few things had hurt Andros as deeply as the loss of his sister all those years ago.

"So, shall we all be late together?" Cassie suggested, running her free hand through her hair. The sparkle on her third finger caught Ashley's eye, and she had to look again to make sure she wasn't seeing things. The ring finger on Cassie's left hand was encircled by a thin band of gold, with a pale pink stone set into the middle of it.

Married?! Ashley couldn't believe it. But it didn't really look like a wedding band--engaged, then, or promised, Ashley thought, still trying to get over the shock. To this… Saryn?

She glanced over at him, trying to figure out where the bizarre feeling of knowing Cassie's companion came from. He noticed her regard and smiled, extending a hand gallantly to gesture her and Cassie forward. "After you, ladies."

It was his voice that did it. It tugged violently at her memory, sending her thoughts spiraling back toward those days as the Turbo Rangers, before the Power Chamber had been destroyed. Back then, the voice had always been filtered through his Ranger armor, and his hand held out only to Cassie.

"Phantom?" Ashley blurted, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Andros's head snap up.

Cassie frowned at her, and "Saryn" raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" he asked, obviously puzzled by her exclamation.

Ashley caught Andros's startled eye. Clearly, he hadn't recognized their old ally either--none of the team had ever seen Phantom demorphed. Now, though, she was at a loss to explain her reaction to these two from the future.

Cassie saved her the trouble. "Ashley," she said slowly, studying the Yellow Ranger, "when did you find your necklace?"

Ashley's hand flew to her neck, where the pendant Andros had given her for her birthday hung on its chain. "What do you mean?" she asked, not knowing how else to reply.

"I mean," Cassie answered, letting go of her arm and stepping back a little, "you lost that necklace last week. You were devastated--don't you remember?"

Ashley exchanged glances with Andros again, and Cassie moved closer to Saryn. He put a protective hand on her shoulder, and Ashley realized that they had better explain before someone got in trouble. Namely, us, she thought, wondering how long the other two would listen before she and Andros were written off as Astronema's latest scheme to destroy the Power Rangers.

"Look, it's not what you're thinking," Ashley began. "I really am Ashley, and this is Andros--but we're not the people you know. We're from the past… I'm not sure exactly how long ago, to you, but it was June sixth when we were pulled forward by some kind of anomaly."

Saryn looked down at Cassie. "Six months," he murmured, and she nodded.

"Two weeks before finals," Cassie added, her gaze going distant. "I remember--Saryn, they're telling the truth. The rest of us were down at the Surf Spot that day, and when we came back, Ashley wanted to talk to me…

"You took me aside and told me the wildest story," she said, looking at Ashley now. "Something about going into the future, and having a message from the Phantom Ranger."

Ashley looked expectantly at Saryn, and he shifted uncomfortably. "I sent you a message from the future?" he asked Cassie.

She nodded. "Ashley said I couldn't tell anyone else, because it would be bad for the timeline to tell the whole team where they'd be six months from then. But you had said that it was important, something you really wanted me to know."

Saryn regarded her a moment longer. He did not, to Ashley's surprise, ask what the message had been. Instead, he glanced over at Ashley just long enough to catch her eye, before looking back at Cassie.

"When you get back to your time," Saryn said quietly, "tell Cassie that I love her. Tell her I'm thinking of her, even though I can't be with her. And tell her, if you can, that we'll be together soon."

Ashley nodded, the words burning themselves into her memory. "I will," she promised, and Cassie smiled at her.

"I know you will," her friend assured her, reaching for Saryn's hand. "He just recited, almost word for word, the message you gave me six months ago."

Andros's gaze roved across the crowded commons, searching for the face he had seen only minutes before. The same face--but not the same person.

Finally, a telltale gleam of yellow gave her location away, and he sighed in relief. Making his way through the throngs of people, he stepped up behind her and reached around to place his hands gently over her eyes. "Guess who," Andros whispered in her ear.

Ashley caught his hands and spun around, throwing her arms around him. "I thought you'd never get here!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

Closing his eyes, he breathed in the clean scent of her hair and smiled to himself. This was the girl he loved. "I was… detained," he said, reluctant to trouble her but figuring that if anyone should know, it was her. Besides, it was her help he would want to deal with this.

She pulled back, immediately aware that something was wrong. "What happened?" she asked, searching his gaze.

He glanced instinctively over his shoulder, and cocked his head toward the edge of the commons. Ashley nodded, and they moved away from the gathering toward the more secluded areas that surrounded the open park.

"I think we have an intruder on board," he told her at last, when he was sure no one could overhear. Andros related what had occurred, and she listened, first with alarm and then with growing thoughtfulness.

When he mentioned alerting the onboard computer, she shifted. "Andros, wait," Ashley said slowly.

He regarded her expectantly.

"Does this sound familiar?" she asked, cocking her head at him. "It's our first contact celebration, and someone who looks just like me shows up… I'm willing to bet you're here too."

Andros didn't understand at first--then it clicked. "The temporal anomaly DECA discovered six months ago."

She nodded. "We're on the other side of the time loop now."

He caught his breath as the implications of that sank in. "Ash--we could keep Zordon from being cut off from this dimension. All we have to do is tell them where he was being held--they could get to him before the war escalated out of control, and he wouldn't have to give up his time warp to keep the universe from destroying itself!"

She put a hand on his arm. "No, we can't."

"Why not?" he insisted, caught up in his altered vision of the past. It's my fault Zordon can never return, he thought. If we tell them, they could keep it from happening again.

"Because we didn't," Ashley told him patiently. "Remember when we were them? If we had told ourselves then what would happen, we would have changed it. But we didn't, so we can't."

Andros shook his head, frustrated. "That's not a good enough reason."

"No," Ashley agreed. "But the reasons behind that choice were sound, and still are. Look around you, Andros. A lot of good came out of that time--the Terra Venture is here because of Zordon's sacrifice. Without him, this ship wouldn't be possible. And Cassie…"

She looked away from him, gazing out across the park. "That war reunited her and Phantom. Would you deny them their happiness--or this community its very existence--on the chance that somehow you could make things better six months ago? What if it didn't work?"

"At least we would have tried," he muttered, touching the locket that always hung around his neck.

"You did try," Ashley reminded him. Placing her hand on his chest, she covered the locket with her fingers. "And Kerone is safe now, too. It worked out for the best, Andros."

"But if I had known," he protested, unable to forget the pain of losing his sister for a second time. "I could have stopped her from going. She would have stayed on the Megaship, and never had to be Astronema again!"

"And she wouldn't have been there to save Zhane," Ashley continued relentlessly. "He would have died on the Dark Fortress, without her there to help him. And remember, it was Astronema, not Kerone, who brought Dark Specter down."

Andros was quiet for a moment. In the end, though, he had to concede her point. He sighed, staring into the eyes of the one who had single-handedly brought light into all the dark corners of his life. "You're right," he admitted, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

She smiled at him. "I know," she assured him. "Now let's go find our counterparts before they get into trouble."

"Just a moment." He dropped his hand to her shoulder and held her firmly in place. "If I remember right, there was something I wanted to do then, but didn't dare."

She tilted her head up at him. "What's that?"

He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. She responded, pressing closer and wrapping her arms around his neck, and for a moment he banished all thoughts of the past from his mind.

"Did you truly tell your teacher that school was interfering with you education?" Saryn asked, looking at Cassie with interest.

Ashley grinned. "She sure did. But it was what she said after that that got her three days of detention."

Saryn shook his head. "I am amazed that you attended school for so long without the people of your world knowing that you were a Ranger. It must have been difficult to explain at times."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "That's the understatement of the year."

"That reminds me," Andros said suddenly, turning to look at Ashley. "If I have to come up with one more ridiculous excuse to get you out of class--"

"You'll what?" an amused voice asked from somewhere behind Andros.

They had been so absorbed in their story telling that no one had been paying much attention to the people drifting by on either side of them. Until, of course, one of those people had spoken to them, and the little group looked up to find Andros's and Ashley's mirror images regarding them all.

"Oh hi, Ashley, Andros," Cassie said calmly, not at all fazed by the doubles standing in front of her. "It's about time you showed up."

Andros's doppelganger raised an eyebrow. "You know who they are?"

"How did you know?" Ashley interrupted, giving Andros's twin a startled look.

He shrugged, putting an arm around the shoulders of her future self. "You don't kiss the same."

Beside her, Andros choked, and his double grinned at him. "You don't know what you're missing," he advised, and her Andros blushed, suddenly unable to meet her eyes.

"Well," Cassie said into the pause, "you obviously have things to talk about, and we have a celebration to join, so we'll leave you alone."

"It was nice to meet you," Saryn offered, nodding to both Andros and Ashley. "I suppose we will never speak again…"

"But we will," Ashley said with a smile. "For us, six months from now, but for you, anytime you want."

Ashley's twin echoed her smile. "That's right. I expect to see you more often, Saryn, now that you remember the conversation I had with you six months ago."

Cassie just shook her head, glaring at both versions of her best friend. "Stop confusing me," she complained.

Saryn laughed at her, and Ashley couldn't help staring at him. Phantom had never laughed in her presence before, and her eye was drawn once more to the ring on Cassie's finger. He's changed a lot, she reflected, watching the handfast couple wander away down the path.

And he's not the only one, she thought then, glancing over at Andros. His face was still slightly red, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him. "So tell the truth," she said to his lookalike. "Was it really the way I kiss that tipped you off?"

Andros's double chuckled, and her own doppelganger smiled up at him. Ashley felt a flicker of jealousy--not of her future self, but of what these two obviously had together.

"That and the headache," he allowed at last, and she frowned.

"I didn't have a headache this morning," Ashley's double explained. "And we were together all night and most of the morning, helping set up for today's ceremony, so believe me, he would have known."

"Clever," Ashley admitted, nodding at Andros's future self. He just smiled, and she found herself wishing her Andros would smile that easily.

He will, she reminded herself, gazing at this vision of their future.

Her train of thought broke off when Andros cleared his throat, stepping forward and conveniently interrupting her line of sight. "Obviously, when you came here from the past, you didn't stay--so how do we get back?"

Their future selves exchanged glances, and Ashley found herself sneaking a look in Andros's direction. He was doing the same thing, and their eyes met. The corner of his mouth quirked up, and she returned the half-smile with a wink. He reached for her hand, and she surrendered it willingly, waiting for the verdict from their future selves.

"I remember something about a slingshot effect," Ashley's doppelganger said at last. "The anomaly sent us forward--stretching, so to speak--and eventually it snapped us back. We didn't have to do anything."

"Which is a good thing," Andros's double added, "since we lost our Gliders as soon as we came through the vortex."

We demorphed, too, Ashley noted. Maybe because the Power can only respond to one person at a time… and they're native to this time, after all. It would favor them.

Before she could ask, though, a sparkle streaked through the air to hover between the two couples. Joined by several other suspiciously green sparks, it flared outward into the familiar vortex of the temporal anomaly.

The Andros and Ashley of the future were completely obscured, and she looked over at her Andros. He squeezed her hand, and she moved closer to him, remembering the displacement and disorientation that had come with their first trip through this anomaly.

She took a deep breath, saw him nod, and the two of them plunged into the vortex together. Again came the unpleasant sensation of falling, but this time she landed solidly, and when she looked down she found her Glider beneath her feet and her Ranger uniform in place once more.

Shooting a glance to the side, she saw Andros turn his head toward her. With an eerie sense of déjà vu, she gave him a thumbs-up. This time, he returned it, and she smiled, knowing he would never see the expression behind her helmet.

1. Resist

Ashley hit the keypad outside her door, letting her eyes slide shut as she waited for the computer to recognize her palm print and let her in. The system must have been backed up this evening, because it took a few seconds longer than usual. The delay only served to irritate her further, and she sighed when the door finally slid open.

The lights were on, and she wondered briefly if she had forgotten to turn them off when she left that afternoon. But the computer's power conserve mode should have done it for her when it detected the empty room. It was a mystery that she was too tired to contemplate right now, and she collapsed on the couch without further thought.

For a moment, she just lay there, staring up at the ceiling and wishing for the world to go away. Reaching up, she lifted her head enough to tug her ponytail free and push her shoes off before relaxing again. It was such a relief to just lie there and do nothing that she considered skipping dinner entirely and going straight to bed.

A noise from the small kitchen unit distracted her, though, and she wondered if Cassie was home already. She was too tired to actually get up and wander into the kitchen to check, but she did turn her head slightly and think about calling out to her friend.

Before she could, though, the person in the kitchen spoke first, and she smiled as she recognized Andros's voice. "Is that you, Ash?"

"Yeah," she answered, deciding it wasn't worth the effort to come up with some sarcastic remark about who else would be in her apartment. "Have you been here long?"

"Just a few minutes," he said, and she heard his footsteps, suddenly muffled on the carpet as he came into the room. "Want something to drink?"

"That depends," she said, a little suspicious as he entered her limited field of view carrying two mugs. "What is it?" Andros had, inexplicably as far as she was concerned, decided he liked tea. She couldn't stand it, but he kept trying to get her to drink the stuff.

"Just juice," he replied, giving her an amused look. "Here."

Setting one mug down on the table next to the end of the couch, he sat down next to her as she dragged herself into a sitting position. Taking her left hand, he wrapped her fingers around the mug. "You look tired," he observed, as she lifted the mug to her lips.

The juice was warm and rather pleasantly flavored, though she didn't recognize it. "This is good," she said involuntarily, looking down at her mug.

"Should be," he said with a shrug, but the corner of his mouth lifted and she knew he was pleased. "So what's up?"

She shifted a little, feeling a little better under his careful attention. "Nothing, really; it's just been a long day. Nothing a kiss wouldn't cure," she added hopefully, glancing sideways at him.

He smiled faintly and leaned closer, brushing her tangled hair away from her face. His lips touched hers gently, and she closed her eyes, feeling that simple touch wash away some of her annoyance.

"Thank you," she whispered, as he pulled away.

"Anytime," Andros murmured, and she found him staring at her as she opened her eyes.

"What?" she asked, a little uncomfortable with his expression. He looked at her like that more often now, an intense gaze that he had once reserved for the stars, or the pictures he kept in his locket.

She had often come across him staring off into the distance back when they'd been on the Megaship, and known he was thinking troubled thoughts about things long lost. But now he sometimes turned that focused look on her, and she wondered what he thought when he did. Was she just something else to be lost, another pain that he had to shield himself from?

She had thought him past that. He had his best friend, his sister, his entire world back, and he was so much more relaxed than he had once been. She had thought Andros knew what it was to be happy now, and she had hoped he could find that happiness with her. But when he looked at her with that unreadable gaze, she had to wonder what was going through his mind.

"You're staring," she said lightly, tapping his shoulder with one of the couch's throw pillows.

"And you're beautiful," he countered, snatching the pillow from her hand. "How could I *not* stare?"

The impassive look was gone as quickly as it had come, and his expression was affectionate as he tossed the pillow back into her lap. She had to lift her mug to keep the pillow from hitting it, and she shook her head. "Are you *trying* to make me spill this?"

"Sure, I compliment you and then I spill your drink on you," he said, giving her a wry look. "Now there's a plan."

She leaned across him to set her mug down, and saw him avert his eyes automatically. "Maybe you want me to change into something else?" she suggested slyly, and when he glanced at her, startled, she tossed the pillow back at him.

"Hey," he protested, slapping the pillow away. "You're the one who said it."

"Aha! You *do* want me to change," she exclaimed triumphantly, grabbing another pillow and throwing it at him. She knew that wasn't what he'd meant--he probably hadn't seen enough movies to understand the insinuation behind the comment in the first place. But it had been a long day, and she just wanted an excuse to be crazy for a while.

Andros looked a little confused, but he wasn't going to just let her throw pillows at him. Grabbing one off the floor, he tossed it back in her direction and shook his head at her. "I don't want you to change," he countered. "I like you just the way you are."

"That isn't--" She made the mistake of turning her back on him to look for another pillow, and she felt his arms wrap around her from behind.

"No more pillows," he said firmly.

"You can't tell me you're afraid of a few pillows," she argued, struggling against him and feeling her irritation flare again. She tried to suppress it, but when he didn't loosen his grip she complained, "Let me go, Andros!"

He did, and she twisted around to shove him, hard. "That wasn't funny," she snapped, then felt terrible for the hurt look she saw in his eyes. *What's wrong with me?* she wondered, annoyed with herself. *He's just trying to cheer me up.*

"I'm sorry," she said with a sigh. "I didn't mean to--"

"It's okay," he said softly, pressing his fingers against her lips. "You're tired, Ash. I think maybe you've been working too hard--I'm going to get you the next few days off, all right?"

"No, Andros, it's not that…" Suddenly his hand on her mouth felt very inviting, and she kissed his fingers on impulse. She saw him frown, and she tugged on his hand, leaning closer to kiss his mouth.

He let her do it for a moment, but when she moved closer, wanting more than just his passive participation, he pushed her away. "Ash, is something wrong?" he asked, looking worried.

"No," she said, more sharply than she'd intended. "Nothing's wrong with *me*."

"Ash…"

*Don't look at me like that!* she cried silently. His sad look cut through her heart, as it had so many times before, and she looked away. She had been crazy to think that they were right for each other. He was too serious, she too ebullient for their personalities to mesh.

*You're not like that anymore--look at yourself now,* she chastised herself. *That's the way you *were*; things are different now. Why would he want you at all?*

"Ashley," Andros whispered, concern evident in the way he said her name. She felt his arm go around her and she relaxed against his shoulder, letting him draw her into a gentle embrace. A single tear squeezed through her closed eyelids as she buried her face against his chest.

2. Relief

He didn't know how long he sat there with his arms around her, just listening to her breathe. He heard her sniffle once or twice, and his heart twisted at the thought that she might be crying. But he hadn't managed to say anything right the rest of the evening, so he didn't want to chance speaking to her now when she had finally relaxed.

After a while, he started to suspect that she had fallen asleep. Her breathing was slower and more even, and she hadn't so much as twitched for several minutes. He held her for a little while longer, enjoying the feeling and hoping that sleep was all she needed to restore her to her normal, cheery self.

*How much *has* she been working, these past few weeks?* he wondered suddenly. He had been so busy himself that they had rarely had time to spend together--that had been a mistake, he realized now. They should have *found* the time.

But he had kept promising himself that things would calm down once they left Earth, and life on Terra Venture had a chance to settle into something like a normal routine. He had been promising himself that for three weeks now, ever since the space colony broke Earth orbit and headed for the edge of the Sol system. They had left the system behind in a matter of hours as the engines powered up--but things had not settled down.

Somehow, they had found themselves as busy as before. As Power Rangers and some of a very small group of colonists who had actually been in space before, everyone turned to them for advice and assistance. They found their lives swamped by concerns ranging from gravitational anomalies to misaligned fusion generators to inadequate vegetable growth in one of the tropical environments.

*It's not like we even *know* anything about any of this stuff,* Andros thought. *It just makes them feel better to have someone to turn to. And who better than Earth's own heroes?*

He had worried that Ashley was feeling the pressure most of all--she was too accommodating for her own good, to ready to help anyone and everyone, even when it meant impossible hours for herself. The rest of them knew or were learning how to say "no", but Ashley would--and apparently had--work herself into a state of sheer exhaustion without the slightest complaint.

She had been unusually cranky the last couple of times they had met for dinner, but he had put it down to hard days or something he had done. He wasn't as quick as Zhane to pick up on things he had done wrong in a relationship, and his friend had the advantage of unstoppable charm.

Andros sighed, leaning down to kiss the top of Ashley's head. "I love you, you know," he whispered quietly. "Even if I haven't been showing it as much as I should."

That was going to change, he decided. She clearly needed some time off, and he wasn't going to let her spend it alone unless she wanted to. He edged away from her gingerly, supporting her shoulders as he slid off the couch and pushed a cushion and several pillows into his place.

Ashley accepted the transition without so much as a murmur, not even shifting her position, and he frowned in concern. She wasn't a heavy sleeper, and normally she would have moved at least a little when he got up. He had been afraid he would wake her, actually, but it seemed that that fear had been groundless.

If she *wasn't* going to wake up, maybe he should try to move her to her bed, where she could at least be more comfortable. A click from the kitchen distracted him, though, and he smoothed her hair away from her face as he turned away. He would move her later, if she was still asleep--after he had spoken to Cassie.

Walking quietly, just in case she wasn't as deeply asleep as she looked, Andros made his way over to the door to the small kitchen area Ashley shared with her best friend. Cassie was inside, the door to her own room open as she stood in front of the heater unit, staring off into space.

Andros knocked gently on the doorframe to get her attention, and she jumped. "Oh, hi Andros," Cassie said, glancing over her shoulder and smiling at him. "I didn't know you were here."

"I thought Ash might want to have dinner," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "But she's too tired; she's already asleep."

Cassie frowned. "She's been sleeping a lot lately. Whenever she's here, it seems like, she's asleep. Of course, she isn't here that much…"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he said, troubled. "Do you think she's overworking herself? She's almost never here when I come by, and when she is, she's tired and sort of… cranky."

Cassie sighed. "I think we've all been pushing ourselves too hard, now that you mention it. When was the last time you had a day off, Andros?"

"Last weekend," he said immediately.

"And before that?" she countered.

He had to think about it. "Well, not since we left Earth, I guess."

"Same here," she said with a sigh. "And Ashley didn't even take off that day last weekend with the rest of us--she was helping with the sunlight calibrations in the main habitat area."

Andros remembered clearly, since he had been hoping they could spend the day together. But she had insisted that it wouldn't take that long, and that they would still have the afternoon. Then afternoon had turned into evening, and by the time the light team was done, she was too tired to do anything but fall into her bed.

"We're taking the next three days off," he said suddenly, coming to a decision. "All of us. I'll tell Commander Jennings tonight--we can't keep going like this."

"I think we were all hoping it would get better once we left Earth's solar system," Cassie murmured. "We've all been telling ourselves it's just a few more days, and then we'll have some time to ourselves again."

"But we won't," Andros said firmly. "All anyone sees, no offense to your people, is the invincible Ranger team that saved Earth over and over again. If we don't tell them otherwise, they'll just keep assuming we can--and will--do anything."

Cassie nodded reluctantly. "That's not an image any of us can live up to," she admitted.

"And trying to isn't going to help anyone, if it means we all end up like Ash." Andros looked over his shoulder, but the sleeping form on the couch had not moved. "Don't report in tomorrow, Cassie. I'll send messages to everyone else."

She smiled, giving him a grateful look. "Thanks, Andros. I think we all need the break."

"We do," he agreed. " 'Night, Cassie."

"Good night," she answered, and he stepped back and keyed the door between the kitchen and Ashley's room shut.

3. Refresh

She wasn't sure what woke her up, but the room was still dark, so she couldn't have overslept. She blinked sleepily into the dimness, rolling over onto her side and wondering if she wanted to know what time it was. Far too close to the hour when she had to get up, she suspected.

A light on her computer terminal made her frown, though, as she recognized the "incoming message" pattern. She hated the thought of dragging herself out of bed to see what it was, but if it was important, she really had no choice.

Pulling herself into a sitting position with an effort, she slid her legs over the side of the bed and got to her feet. As she stumbled over to the terminal, she vowed that if is *wasn't* important, the sender of this message was going to get a very nasty reply.

Acknowledging the message and inputting her code, she was surprised to see Andros's message sig at the top. It had been automatically routed to all Ranger terminals, even his, and she skimmed over the eight names listed at the top to the message below.

*Three days?* she wondered, trying to make her sleepy mind process the information. *Three… days?*

A muffled noise from behind her made her spin, bringing her hands up automatically to block a possible attack. But there was no one there, and she squinted, trying to see through the shadows.

"Andros?" she whispered, wondering if the form on the couch was more than her imagination.

It didn't move, and she made her careful way across the room. Sure enough, there was someone sleeping there, his blonde-streaked brown hair just barely discernible in the nearly dark room. "Andros," she murmured again, kneeling down beside him.

She watched him sleep for a few minutes, until it became too much of an effort to hold her head up. Resting her arms on the cushion, she pillowed her head on them and let her eyes slide shut, listening to Andros's breathing.

It seemed only a moment later when she felt him stir, his hand stroking her hair gently. But when she tried to lift her head, it felt heavier than it had before, and her entire body was slower than it should have been to respond.

*The lights are on,* she realized slowly. She must have fallen asleep again.

"Morning, sleepy," Andros said affectionately, fingers still tangled in her hair. "How long have you been here?"

She yawned, leaning into his hand and letting her eyes close again. "Since I woke up and saw your message on my terminal."

"That's not really the most comfortable place to sleep," he pointed out gently.

"You slept here," she murmured.

"At least I was lying down. Why don't you go back to your bed and get some real sleep?"

" 'Cause I'd rather be with you," she replied, lifting her eyelids with an effort and smiling at him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised softly.

"Good…"

The next thing she knew, she was blinking her eyes open again and staring up at the ceiling. She twisted a little, feeling her muscles protest as she tried to stretch. She yawned involuntarily, then sniffed the air.

She had fallen asleep *again*--but was that breakfast she smelled? She rolled over onto her side, smiling as she realized she was lying on the couch. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, blinking as she tried to look around the room.

The lights had been dimmed to half-strength, but the door to the kitchen was open and brighter light spilled out into the room. She could hear voices, and to her surprise she actually had enough energy that she felt like getting up to investigate. *No work today,* she thought with relief, climbing to her feet and wandering over to the kitchen.

"Andros!" she heard Cassie's indignant voice exclaim as she got closer. "I was using that!"

"If you'd just spread it on your toast like a normal person," Andros began, and Ashley poked her head into the small kitchen area in time to see Cassie give him a friendly shove.

"What do you know about being normal?" she demanded. "You eat jam plain!"

Andros only shrugged. "At least I don't eat it out of the jar, like some people."

Ashley leaned against the doorframe, smiling as she watched the two of them argue. Andros noticed her first, pausing midsentence to greet her. "Morning, Ash--feeling any better?"

She tried to stifle a giggle as she saw Cassie steal the jar from him, but she didn't quite manage. Andros glanced over his shoulder, saw the jar slide away, and exclaimed, "Hey!"

Cassie stuck her knife in the jam and covered a corner of her toast with it. She bit into it calmly, but her eyes widened as Andros telekinetically dragged the jar away from her. He scooped some of the jam onto his plate before she could say a word. "So?" he inquired, cocking his head in Ashley's direction.

"I am feeling better, actually," she said, a little surprised. "Thanks for letting me sleep late."

"I couldn't have woken you up," he said, grinning. Then Cassie reached over his arm and grabbed the jam, retreating to the opposite counter to sit and eat her toast.

"Want something to eat?" Andros offered, not at all fazed by the theft.

A yawn forestalled her answer, and he just laughed. "Sit down," Andros instructed. "I'll make you some toast."

"Thanks," she mumbled, reluctant to leave the friendly atmosphere. Cassie had taken the only stool in the small area, but the counter by the sink was empty and she hopped up on it without a second thought.

"You must be feeling better," Andros said, glancing over at her. "You're bouncy again."

" 'Bouncy'?" she repeated, and he smiled sheepishly.

"You know--light on your feet."

He looked away, and she swung her legs idly, pleased. She caught Cassie watching her, and she gave a happy shrug. Her friend grinned back at her.

4. Rebuke

The chime of Ashley's computer terminal was audible even in the kitchen, and Andros glanced over in time to see her roll her eyes. "Want me to see who it is?" he offered, recognizing the same annoyance that had lingered in her expression the evening before.

But she smiled and shook her head, the irritation vanishing as quickly as it had come. "No, I'll get it; thanks."

She slid off the counter and disappeared from the kitchen, returning to her side of the apartment. He heard the terminal chime again, and then Ashley must have activated the comm unit from her end. Her friendly "Hi!" reassured him, and he laid her toast carefully on her plate, wondering whether to take it in to her or not.

She saved him the trouble of deciding, for at that moment Ashley called, "Andros! Your brother wants to know where you are! What should I tell him?"

Andros smiled to himself, certain she had not muted the comm. "Tell him I found the Lights of Orion, and I don't need to sleep anymore."

There was a brief pause where he couldn't quite make out the response coming from her terminal. Then Ashley laughed. "He says it's pretty convenient that you find yourself at my place, then."

Andros heard Cassie giggle, and he tried not to blush.

Leaving the kitchen, he walked over to Ashley and glared at her terminal. "Very funny, Zhane," he said, but the other just grinned.

"You set yourself up for that one," he replied. "Don't blame me for taking advantage of it!"

Andros couldn't help smiling at his friend's irrepressible good cheer. Zhane didn't know the meaning of "tired" or "overworked". He seemed to be the most successful of all of them at maintaining an equilibrium between working and relaxing.

Of course, it probably helped to have a girlfriend who was the former queen of evil, and whom no one wanted to annoy. When *Zhane* said he had a dinner date, no one said, "Oh, just one more minute." They just wished him a good evening and said they'd see him in the morning.

''I'll let you two talk," Ashley was saying, touching his shoulder briefly as she turned away.

"Your toast is on the counter," Andros offered, turning his head to watch her leave.

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

He nodded, staring after her until he remembered he was supposed to be talking to Zhane. Looking back at the screen, he saw his friend waiting patiently with an expression that was almost a smirk.

"You're really missing out with her, you know," his friend told him, when he realized he had Andros's attention again.

Andros shook his head, glancing over his shoulder once more. "She wants it like this," he said, a little wistfully.

Zhane snorted. "Are you kidding? I saw the way she just looked at you--she thinks you making breakfast for her is the most romantic thing in the world."

"Once, maybe," Andros muttered. "She thinks it's sweet this time, but she'd get tired of it really fast."

They'd had this conversation before, and Zhane looked exasperated. "Andros, have a little confidence in yourself. Ashley's completely in love with you, and you're just pushing her away."

He shrugged a little, uncomfortable talking about it where she might overhear. "She's happier this way," he said quietly.

"What about you?" Zhane demanded. "Why do you think she's happy when you're not?"

"I *am* happy," he insisted. "I'm glad we can be together without needing anything more." And he *was* glad, because he knew that if things ever got serious between them it wouldn't last. Ashley liked him, of that he had no doubt, but she could never commit to someone less intense than she was.

Something caught Zhane's attention before he could reply, and he looked away from the screen for a moment. "Who is it?" Zhane called, and smiled at the answer.

Looking back at the screen, he said sternly, "We're going to talk about this again, you know."

Andros sighed at his friend's tenacity. "Zhane, we're fine."

"Right," Zhane said dryly. "Remind me to explain why you're so wrong later. Come in!" he called over his shoulder.

Andros watched with relief, glad the other had been distracted. It didn't surprise him in the least to see his sister enter the screen's field of view, reaching out to ruffle Zhane's hair affectionately as she peered over his shoulder. "Andros, you're up early for a day off," she greeted him.

He glanced at the timestamp on the bottom corner of the terminal. "It's half past ten by Terra Venture's time," he said, as though she couldn't see that for herself.

"That's what I said," she agreed, a delighted smile on her face. "You're up early."

Zhane snickered, and she gave him a gentle push. "You too," she reproved. "You'd both sleep the day away if you didn't have friends to wake you up."

"It's a good thing we have friends, then." Zhane caught her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her fingers solemnly.

Kerone only laughed at him, pulling her hand away and turning back to the terminal. "So what prompted this sudden time off, Andros?"

He shrugged evasively. "I thought we all needed it. We've been working pretty hard, and--"

"He means his girlfriend was tired," Zhane interrupted. "He didn't want it to look like favoritism, so we all got to sleep in."

Andros shifted where he was standing, but he did not deny it. Kerone just looked amused. "I guess Ashley's the one to talk to if you want something done around here."

"That's it," Zhane agreed cheerfully. "Too bad we have to wait for her to get so tired that even Andros notices."

"Okay, okay," Andros said with a sigh. "I know, we should have taken time before this."

"At least weekends!" Zhane put in, but Kerone shook her head.

"No, Andros, you were right. The colony needed someone to count on, especially these first few weeks. I'm glad it could be us."

Her earnestness reassured him, and a clatter from the kitchen reminded him of where he was. "Yeah," he said, smiling at her. "We did a good job, so enjoy the time off. You've earned it, both of you."

"You too," Zhane said, giving him a meaningful look that Andros pretended not to notice.

"I'll see you later," Andros said. He put the screen back on standby and headed for the kitchen.

5. Reassure

"So Andros was here all night, huh?" Cassie edged her stool to one side to make room for her friend.

"Yeah," Ashley agreed, hopping up onto the counter again. "Too bad I was asleep the whole time."

Cassie laughed. "It won't be the last time," she promised.

Ashley reached for her plate, lifting it off the counter and settling it in her lap. "I hope not," she said, noting with surprise that Andros had managed to cook her toast just right.

"Jam?" Cassie offered, tilting the jar in her direction.

Ashley eyed it, then glanced over at the drawer that held the silverware--just out of reach from where she sat. "Only if I can use your knife."

Cassie set her own toast down and passed her the knife.

"Thanks," Ashley said, giving her a quick smile.

"No problem." Cassie studied her for a moment, then asked, "So what's going on with you and Andros?"

She pretended to concentrate on her toast, spreading the jam in a thin layer over the bread. But when she went to hand the knife back, Cassie managed to catch her eye, and Ashley sighed. "Nothing. Why?"

Cassie half-smiled, but her intent gaze did not lessen. "Well, for one thing, because you sighed when I asked."

Ashley shrugged a little. "Nothing's going on," she repeated, picking up her toast. It was, after all, the truth.

Cassie seemed to consider that, putting a small amount of jam on another section of her toast and taking a thoughtful bite. "So," she said, a moment later, "is that good or bad?"

Ashley looked up, startled, and found her friend watching her again.

"Come on, Ash," Cassie insisted. "You guys have been going out for more than a year, and you're still act like you're barely into the 'comfortable' stage."

"We've been busy," Ashley muttered, glancing inadvertently toward the door. "You know how crazy things got after our identities were revealed. The media was everywhere; we had practically no time to ourselves. And the rebuilding wasn't even finished when the last of the colonists were chosen for Terra Venture--it's been nonstop ever since."

"Ash, listen to yourself," Cassie interrupted. "Sure, we've been right in the middle of everything. In some ways, maybe, things are more hectic now than they were in high school, but at least now we can plan things. Evil is *gone*--we don't have to worry about fighting monsters every day."

"We have to worry about everything else, though," Ashley said, smiling a little in an attempt to distract her friend.

Cassie gave her a look that said she knew exactly what Ashley was trying to do. "When you love someone, you *find* the time," she said firmly. "It doesn't matter how busy you are."

"Like Saryn did when we were on the Megaship?" Ashley couldn't help asking.

Cassie didn't flinch. "He couldn't help that. We had to be apart--you and Andros don't. You live down the hall from each other, Ash! You could see him every single *day* if you wanted to."

"I do see him every day," Ashley said indignantly. "Well, almost."

"You know what I mean. Really see him, not just say hello when you report in together. What's keeping you from meeting for dinner, or just watching TV after work or something?"

Ashley just stopped herself from retorting that they *did* that, because Cassie was right--she knew what her friend meant, and the fact that she and Andros did not spend nearly enough time together had not escaped her, either. And even when they were together, they almost never talked about anything except the colony, or their days.

Ashley sighed, looking over her shoulder at the door again. "I don't know," she admitted at last. "I wish I did. I love him; I know that. And he says he loves me--"

"He does," Cassie said quietly. "We all know that."

"You 'all' know that?" Ashley repeated, not sure how she felt about that.

"Sure," Cassie said, a slight smile on her face. "Don't tell Andros, but..." She leaned closer and whispered, "Me and Carlos had a bet that he'd propose to you before Terra Venture left Earth."

Ashley's eyes widened, and she stared at her friend in shock. "Andros?"

"No, Carlos," Cassie shot back. "Of course Andros!"

"But--" Ashley couldn't think of anything else to say. She sat there, breakfast forgotten as she tried to even picture such a thing. "He's... he's not even from Earth," she managed to get out at last, and she was embarrassed to find her voice choked with tears.

"Ash?" Cassie was on her feet in an instant, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

She set her plate down and slid off the counter wordlessly, trying to blink away the tears as Cassie pulled her into a hug. "Ash?" Cassie asked again. "What's wrong?"

She sniffled, hugging her friend hard. "I don't know," she murmured, helpless. "I feel like--he's scared of me or something. Like he thinks he'll lose me if he gets too close, or like he's not really sure he wants me at all...

"I just don't *know*," she repeated miserably, rubbing her eyes as she pulled away. "He won't let me into his world, Cassie, and I don't even know why!"

A movement by the door startled her, and she blushed when she saw Saryn standing there, watching silently. She hadn't meant to fall apart like that, and she certainly hadn't meant for anyone else to overhear.

"I did not mean to intrude," he offered, his tone quiet with sleep but his eyes oddly unclouded.

She took a deep breath and shook her head, feeling Cassie's hand still resting soothingly on her shoulder. "It's all right," she said, trying to recover herself enough to face him--and possibly Andros, who would probably be back any minute.

"I apologize for my imposition," he continued, surprising her, "but Andros is not an indecisive person, nor a dishonest one. If he has told you he loves you, I can not believe that he does not."

Ashley swallowed, glancing over at Cassie. The other girl smiled a little, squeezing her shoulder. "He's right, you know. It's an irritating habit he has," she added, and Saryn raised an eyebrow in her direction. Ashley made an effort to smile, knowing they were trying to cheer her up.

"Ash," Cassie said, catching her eye. "Maybe you just need to let him know that *you* love *him*. Andros has never been the most secure person in the world, you know."

This time, she sighed in amusement, wiping her eyes once more. "That's true, I guess. But I *do* let him know--I've told him over and over again."

Cassie shrugged, a knowing smile on her face. "That's not always enough," she said, and Ashley saw her exchange glances with her own boyfriend. "Sometimes you have to chase them a little."

6. Reveal

Preoccupied by his conversation with Zhane, he barely noticed that the kitchen was more crowded than it had been when he left. "Hi Saryn," Andros offered absently, his gaze seeking out Ashley automatically. What if Zhane was right, and she *did* want more than what they had now? Would she get tired of waiting for him?

He sighed quietly, studying her inquisitive expression. Just what he needed--a whole new aspect of their relationship to worry about.

"Good morning," someone said, and he blinked. Saryn stood in the doorway between Cassie's room and the kitchen, and Andros tried to remember if the other had been there when he came in. He had said hello to someone...

"Hi Saryn," he repeated, realizing only as he spoke that the words were a repetition of those he had said earlier. "What are you doing here?"

There was silence for a moment, and Andros winced. Cassie was still in her pajamas, and Saryn was barefoot--he had clearly not arrived within the last few minutes.

Before Andros could think of anything to say, Ashley came to his rescue with a wry, "Having breakfast, what else? Thanks for the toast, by the way."

"You're welcome," he answered, giving her a grateful look. He always seemed to be the last person to know things like this, but if he hadn't been so distracted he might have at least figured it out before he said anything.

"Andros..."

Ashley's quiet voice intruded again and he started, irritated with himself for staring so long. He tried not to blush, knowing the revelation about Saryn and Cassie had made him think of his own girlfriend in ways he had been trying to avoid.

Before he could say anything, though, Ashley slid off the counter and asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He gave her a nervous look, but he nodded and waited for her to lead the way out of the kitchen. As he turned to follow, he saw Saryn's hand rest briefly on Cassie's back as he reached over her shoulder for something on the counter. He was struck by the easy closeness of the two, and wondered how long Saryn had been spending his nights here.

Suppressing a completely unreasonable flash of jealousy, he tried to remember if Ashley had ever said anything that should have clued him in to what was going on. He could call to mind several remarks about Cassie having "other plans" for the evening, but that hardly seemed conclusive.

Ashley halted in front of her computer terminal and turned to face him, searching his expression for something she didn't seem to be finding. "Andros," she said softly, pitching her voice so it wouldn't carry back to the kitchen. "I wanted to apologize--for last night."

He looked at her in surprise. Whatever he had expected, and he still wasn't sure what it was, that certainly hadn't been it. "What about last night?" he asked, then shook his head. "I mean, you don't have anything to apologize for."

"Yes, I do," she said, with a small smile for his abrupt correction. "I was really tired, but that's no excuse--I feel like I snapped at everything you said."

*You did!* he cried silently, but he just shook his head and smiled back at her. "Of course not. And being tired *is* an excuse. I'm just glad you're feeling better this morning."

"Well... that's not all," she admitted, looking a little sheepish. "I know I was sort of--coming on to you, and I wanted to apologize for that, too. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't," he lied, crossing his fingers behind his back. It was a silly Earth superstition that she had taught him, that it was okay to tell small lies if you crossed your fingers first, and he found it oddly comforting right now. "Really, Ash; it's okay. I knew you weren't yourself."

There was no way he was going to tell her that he had almost returned her demanding kiss with one of his own, that he had come very close to not caring whether she was herself or not. He certainly couldn't add that he wished sometimes for her to be "not herself" more often.

She looked disappointed, and although the expression was fleeting and quickly replaced by one of relief, he studied her more closely. Her "relief" seemed... less natural than the disappointment had been. He liked to think he had gotten pretty good at interpreting her reactions to things, and he couldn't help asking, "Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head. "Of course not, silly," she said, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "Thanks for understanding."

He *had* said something wrong. Now he was sure of it. But the affectionate look in her eyes made his heart melt, and when he took a step closer, her upturned face became an invitation he couldn't ignore. He kissed her lightly, trying not to remember the feel of her lips pressed insistently against his the night before.

"Andros," she murmured, making no move to pull away. "I have to ask."

"What?" Confused and a little worried, he drew back enough to fix his gaze on her face.

"Last night--" She took a deep breath. "If I hadn't been so tired, and I had still acted... the way I did..." She caught his eye. "What would you have thought?"

"The way you did?" he repeated uncertainly. "You mean--snapping at me, or kissing me like that?"

She giggled. "Kissing you, like that."

"You mean, if you had done it on purpose?"

She nodded.

He stared at her for a moment, then admitted quietly, "I'd have kissed you back. I've--"

He had said too much, and he stopped, but she wasn't willing to let it lie. "You've what?" she insisted, returning his stare with an intense look of her own.

The computer terminal chimed, and he started. Without taking her eyes off him, she reached behind her and did something to the terminal. The screen flickered once before going completely black, and his eyes widened.

"You've what?" she repeated.

He glanced over her shoulder at the now inactive terminal, then back at her face. "I've wanted to for a while, now," he whispered, regretting the words the moment they were out.

But her face brightened, and her tone was hopeful when she asked, "Really?"

He couldn't keep a smile from sneaking onto his face at her expression. "Really," he answered, and was completely unprepared when she took his hands and pressed her mouth to his.

He had not let himself get lost in the feeling last night, but now he did so without hesitation. He didn't know what she wanted--maybe what he had told Zhane wasn't as true as he had thought--but he did know that he had never felt this way before and he didn't want it to stop.

7. Reflect

*No sun,* Ashley thought, studying the sky. After three weeks in deep space aboard Terra Venture, the phenomenon shouldn't still surprise her. And yet she kept expecting to see the sun peeking through the trees, or hanging low over the horizon in the evening.

*And that's not the only thing that's changed,* she reflected ruefully, turning slowly to stare out across the meadow biome. It shared a border with the commons, as did the forested area, allowing the station's main gathering place to exist without environmental disruption in the middle of the overlap.

She had been part of the crew that set up the daylight requirements for this part of the station. It wasn't something she ever pictured herself doing, back on Earth, and it really wasn't anything she knew that much about. But she had been assigned to the light team, and so she worked with them. That was how it was for all the Rangers, now, although Andros had final say on where and when they worked.

It was strange to get up every morning and... go to work. Nine to five was a foreign concept aboard a station that might press its command and support staff into service at any time of day or night. But it was still very much like a job, far more so than her time as a Power Ranger had been.

It was hard to think of herself as employed when it seemed like she had only just graduated from high school. In fact, she had, albeit with a crowd of reporters trailing her every move. The invitation to Terra Venture had been, not only an exciting opportunity, but also a welcome relief, for unauthorized personnel--especially reporters--were not permitted in orbit.

*How many of us came just to get away from Earth?* she wondered suddenly. Though she would never admit it to TJ or Carlos, who had seemed genuinely enthusiastic about this voyage for its own merits, she had not been able to face their continued popularity back home. Terra Venture had been a safe haven of sorts.

She thought Cassie had actually enjoyed the media attention, but the former Pink Ranger had come back to space anyway. And everyone knew why--when Saryn found his way back to her, only days after the wave of pure goodness had swept throughout the universe, he had been very obviously uncomfortable with the press of people constantly surrounding the Rangers. He had borne it, and the eventual revelation of his identity to the public, for the sake of being at her side. But he had never liked it.

When the request for a Ranger presence on the new colony ship came, Cassie, Saryn, Zhane and Kerone had all signed on as "temporary crew". Zhane and Kerone had almost returned to KO-35 several times before Terra Venture invited them aboard, and Ashley knew neither of them considered the colony a permanent responsibility. To them, it was only a transition from one lifestyle to another, a break between the fighting and the rebuilding, and a way of repaying Earth for its support during the final battle in the process.

Cassie and Saryn, on the other hand, had never said where they planned to go after Terra Venture. Cassie said only that she expected him to get homesick eventually, and Saryn had never contradicted that statement. Their departure time was as uncertain as Zhane and Kerone's, but Ashley hoped fervently that it was far in the future yet. She couldn't even imagine the team breaking up after all they'd been through.

And Andros...

*Then there's Andros.*

Why had Andros come to Terra Venture? He had hated the spotlight at least as much as she, and there were times when she thought he and Saryn disappeared to some sort of alternate dimension to avoid being found. And no matter what they said, Ashley knew that Andros was the only thing that really kept Zhane and Kerone on Earth after that first week of reporters and press conferences. If he had wanted to go home to KO-35, his friend and his sister would have followed him gladly.

Yet he had stayed. There were times when she thought--she hoped--he had stayed for her. Once he had even told her that she was the reason he chose to come with them to Earth in the first place. That was the first time he said "I love you", and she had never, ever, forgotten the look on his face as he said those words.

But though he had never taken the words back, they had seemed to be forced further and further apart by the chaos that typified their life on Earth. She had been trying to finish high school with the others, and though several of their teachers had been more generous than they ought, it was still a miracle any of them had graduated with their class. Things were just too *busy* for anything but the most cursory of study sessions, and her relationship with Andros had suffered even more.

By the time she volunteered for Terra Venture, she was almost surprised that Andros seconded her decision. She had been grateful for his support and relieved beyond words that he was coming, and she had hoped that the project would give them time to work together, the way they had in the old days.

It didn't, of course, but at least they managed to coordinate their schedules so that their time off on the station coincided. And away from the whirlwind of news and media events and public attention, they actually found time to spend with each other again. She had time to listen when he said "I love you", and he had time to smile at her when she kissed him. Their world hadn't slowed down much, but it had been enough to remind her of why they were together.

As the time for Terra Venture's departure neared, she had sworn to herself that things would change once the colony was under way. They would *make* time for each other, and they would put their relationship first. It was what she wanted, and she thought he did too--but wanting turned out not to be enough.

*Cassie finds time for Saryn,* she thought with a sigh. And Zhane was forever dragging Kerone away from some project or other, threatening her team with magic or worse if they so much as thought about protesting. Why were she and Andros so different?

*We're both too responsible,* she decided, trying to ignore the resentment she couldn't help feeling for the others. It wasn't their fault, it was hers, and Andros', but she was just too used to doing what "had" to be done.

"Who decides what has to be done?" she whispered to herself. The answer was almost as distressing as it was comforting: *Us. We decided,* she admitted, in the privacy of her own mind. *We decided the colony was more important. Zhane and Kerone and Cassie and Saryn didn't.*

But the colony had never been more important to them, she realized. The colony wasn't going to be *their* home. The four of them were all "temporary crew", with the lessened responsibility that status implied. They worked as hard as anyone else--but they knew when to stop, when to let it go and focus on the things that would matter to *them* in the future: their own relationships.

*That's what should matter to us, too,* Ashley thought, turning to scan the commons again for some sign of Andros. *Just because we're going to live here doesn't mean the colony is our life.*

There was no telltale flash of red to give away Andros' presence, but she knew he would be here soon. He had come to the same realization she had; she *knew* it. That was why he had given them all the time off. That was why he had still been in her room when she woke this morning, and it was why he had made her breakfast for the first time ever.

Somehow, some way, they were going to set things right between them. She wouldn't let them keep drifting in and out of each other's lives like this, always on the periphery of a relationship neither of them could define. They were going to define it today, and she was going to make sure they followed through on their decision.

8. Request

She stood at the edge of the meadow biome, if one could be said to do such a thing. The "edges" of the various habitats on Terra Venture were, at minimum, thirty meters wide. But Ashley lingered in the space between the commons and the open meadow, where the longer grasses had started to invade but had not yet taken control from the carefully cropped vegetation of the gathering area.

A natural breeze had sprung up across the border, flowing from the warmer sunlit meadow into the cooler shadiness that reigned beneath the wooded area nearby. The biome designers had counted on that breeze, of course. But they could not have known how it would flow through the former Yellow Ranger's hair, finally loose from the ponytail she had been wearing for days, tugging at the long strands that now hung down around her shoulders.

Andros thought he could watch her all day, even if she never did anything but stand there in front of him. Her hair shone in the artificial light from Terra Venture's sky, and she was dressed in Earth civilian clothes--he hadn't seen her wear shorts and a t-shirt in more than a month. She looked beautiful and strangely fragile out of uniform, and he ached to take her in his arms and erase all traces of the stress she'd been inflicting on herself lately.

Was it even his place to do that, though? *If not me, who?* he wondered, but he knew that wasn't a good enough reason. She needed *someone*, some sort of support to get her through this separation from her home and the only way of life she'd ever known, and he loved her more than anything. He would gladly be that someone, for the rest of his life if she would let him, but she didn't seem the type to want that kind of commitment.

Everything in her life was fast and intense, and he knew he would never be able to keep up. As much as he had yearned for closeness while they were on Earth, he had almost been relieved that she found herself too busy for him most of the time. Without that enforced distance in their relationship, he was afraid of what might have happened.

"Better to burn out than to fade away," one of the former Rangers had told him, and the phrase seemed to personify Ashley Hammond. Even as she had worked herself to the point of exhaustion here on Terra Venture, he thought she would have fallen into and out of love with him on Earth before he even had time to relax around her, had she had the opportunity.

She had not, and he had found himself beginning to relax around her anyway. The little time they had found to be alone on Earth had gotten him through what Cassie called "the comfortable stage", and after this morning he knew he was in what she so flippantly termed "the wanting stage". It was harder and harder to be around Ashley without wishing she would focus that irrepressible energy on him, no matter how quickly he feared it would pass.

*It would be worth it,* he thought longingly, watching her gaze out across the meadow. He sighed, knowing he would never find the words to say that to her.

She turned around, almost as though she had heard him, though he knew he was too far away for that to be possible. He smiled as she caught sight of him, and a brilliant smile lit her face in return. She practically skipped over to him, and her ebullience spilled over onto him, warming his heart.

"I've been waiting for you," she said, and he had to chuckle. Of course she had been waiting for him. It had been her idea for them to meet here after breakfast, once they had both had time to change. Her insistence that they had to talk *now*, today, and as soon as possible made him nervous, but he wasn't going to turn down a chance to spend time with her for anything.

Before he even realized what she was doing, she had wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his, sending a wave of warmth throughout his body. The feeling was as strong as anything she'd ever done to him, and he returned her kiss eagerly, losing himself to the sensations that coursed through him and demanded that he pull her closer.

The impression of fragility that she had given off earlier was just that--an impression--and he could feel her strength as she tightened her arms around him and kissed him harder. One arm around her waist, he slid his other hand around behind her head and leaned into her kiss, letting her consume his world.

Only when she turned her head to the side, freeing his mouth at last and whispering his name did any sort of awareness return. "Why?" she murmured. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Breathless, he stared at her face and tried to think of something other than her arms around him and the husky tone of her voice. "You were always so busy," he said softly, knowing that wasn't the whole truth.

"Not anymore," she told him, a determined look lighting her eyes as she turned her gaze back to him. "I love you, Andros, and I want to find time for this."

He swallowed, wondering if she meant time for their relationship--or something else. But he didn't want "something else" without the love she had promised him so many times before. "Me too," he agreed quietly, searching her expression. "I love you... I've loved you for more than a year now, you know."

"I--I know," she said, her voice catching as she stared back at him. "And I'm going to love you back for much, much longer than that, I think."

"Really?" he breathed, too startled to say anything more. Could she possibly have any idea how many times he had dreamed of hearing her say that? Dreamed it, but never thought it, never dared to wish for it in anything other than the safe realms of unconsciousness.

"Really," she answered, watching him intently.

All he had to do was say it, but it still took almost more courage than he had. "Me too," he whispered.

She caught her breath again, and then she leaned into him and hugged him impulsively. He hugged her harder in return, and heard her murmur his name again. "That's me," he whispered into her hair.

She giggled a little, a sound he had always treasured. "This is going to sound funny," she said, speaking to something over his right shoulder. "So just tell me if you think it's totally crazy."

"Nothing I do with you could be crazy," he murmured.

"Would you marry me?"

His heart almost stopped. For a few seconds, he was utterly incapable of a response. Then he was sure he had heard her wrong, and he pulled away from her enough to catch a glimpse of the expression in her eyes. "Are--are you proposing?" he asked, trying not to stammer over the Earth word.

"Do I sound like I'm asking you to go bowling?" she demanded. "Of course I'm proposing!"

His lips quirked involuntarily at her indignation, and he tried to calm the pounding of his heart. He had no idea how she could be so at ease--he could barely breathe, and he hadn't even asked the question. But he should have. "Isn't that... my role?" he teased tentatively.

She wrinkled her nose at him and muttered, "You weren't doing a very good job of it."

"Sorry," he whispered, watching a nervous smile tug at her lips when he apologized. "You know I will."

She looked up, her expressive brown eyes wide. "What?"

"Yes," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her again and hugging her close. "You know I'll marry you."