"My home is with you guys." It had only been two weeks ago when she had thought that meant they would be together forever. He had left KO-35 to come back to Earth with her, and she had known it was only a matter of time before they had a moment alone to say three magic words aloud. She had assumed they had all the time in the world, and so she hadn't pushed it.
Now she wished she could have those first few days back on Earth to do over again. They had been together, but the press of media and the unceasing need for explanation after explanation had indefinitely delayed the arrival of that "moment alone". Every time she had turned around there had been something else to take care of, catch up on, explain about or apologize for. Between family, friends, neighbors, teachers, classmates, and uncountable numbers of curious onlookers, personal time had become a thing of the past.
And she had let it. After all, she and Andros had been exclusive since their first date. They hadn't used the term, or said the words she still longed to hear, but there had never been anyone else. Not for either of them. It had never occurred to her that that might change, and so she had made the decision, consciously or not, to put their relationship on hold while she and the others tried to straighten things out at home.
She and most of the others, anyway. Cassie had vanished only hours after the Megaship made planetfall, turning an already chaotic mess into an uproar that wouldn't die down no matter how hard anyone tried to stifle it. Ashley hadn't been the only one who was thoroughly exasperated when her friend turned up a day later, on the arm of a boy no one recognized and wearing a grin that said no protest they could make would have the slightest effect on her.
The Astro Rangers had known him immediately, of course, if not for the ruby around his neck then for the fact that Cassie was with him. The Phantom Ranger had once promised to return, and though months had passed with no word Cassie's faith hadn't wavered. As happy as Ashley had been for her friend, she couldn't help but wish that the timing had been a little less inconvenient--there had been no time for personal matters those first few days, and she had wished then that Cassie could have tried to understand that the way she and Andros did.
Looking back, though, she could see that that was exactly when things started to become difficult for them. Cassie had been right, and she had been wrong. Relationships could only be put "on hold" for so long, and Cassie had been perfectly well aware of that. "Some things are just more important," she had told Ashley, unfazed by her teammates' complaints when she refused to appear at a press conference the following day.
At the time, her attitude had irked Ashley, though she did her best not to show it--especially when Andros had come to Cassie's defense, pointing out that the two had been kept apart enough in the past without their friends adding to it. Now Ashley wished she had listened to both of them more carefully.
Only six days after their return to Earth, word had come from KO-35 that another group of colonists had made it home and that they were asking for Andros and Zhane. She had been about to protest, but the expression on Andros' face when he looked up from the comm screen had told her it was useless. She had swallowed her objection and forced herself to smile, telling him to hurry back.
His hesitation had been her first clue that something was changing between them. "I'll try," he had said at last. "But Ash... we can't just show up and leave a few hours later. This is important. Our people are important."
She had heard the unspoken "too" at the end of his sentence, and she had wondered if he thought that Earth was the only place she cared about. "I know," she had assured him. She remembered the twinge of anxiety she'd felt at his skeptical look, and she wished she had made more of an effort to convince him.
An awkward silence had lingered between them for a moment, and finally he had asked if she would come with him. Surprised, she hadn't known how to answer--until he looked away, and suddenly she understood that it wasn't just an idle question. He had left his own planet in a time of upheaval to come with her, and now he was asking if she would do the same for him.
Saying yes, she reflected, was probably one of the first smart things she had done.
TJ had been easier on her than she had been on Cassie when she told them where she was going, for which she was grateful. Kerone had come too, and the four of them had been back on KO-35 before the end of the day. The colonists' sincere relief at seeing their Rangers, and Kerone, had been enough to make Ashley feel thoroughly guilty for keeping them--or at least Andros, and she suspected the others had stayed because he did--away from their people so long.
Seeing the colonists' reaction to Andros, Zhane, and Kerone, she had had her first inkling of the true nature of KO-35. She had thought the group on Centaur B had been unique in their closeness, or perhaps that they had recognized Andros and Zhane in an instant only because the two were Rangers. But not only did the second group seem just as close, they recognized Kerone as quickly as they did Andros and Zhane.
KO-35 wasn't a world at all, she thought, it was more of a small city. Everyone knew everyone else, by sight if not by name, and the bond between the inhabitants hadn't faded with time. She had found that comforting in a way she couldn't explain, and she had found herself sharing Andros' and Zhane's enthusiasm when Kinwon got word from a third group on the heels of the second.
She had even gone with them to welcome the new arrivals, relieved by Andros' pleased reaction when she asked if she was welcome. He had put his arm around her shoulders for the first time in days as the returning colonists disembarked, and she had smiled happily to herself. For a few blissful seconds, she had dared to hope that things were not as awkward as she had imagined between them.
Then Kesra had stepped off the colony ship.
The petite redhead had looked generationally displaced in the midst of colonists who all appeared to be Taikwa's age or older. The uniformity of the others only made her youth more striking, and Ashley had wondered briefly how she had come to be the only teenager in the group.
Then the girl's gaze had fixed on the four of them, and her face had lit up. "Andros!" She had bounded forward, golden highlights sparkling in her unruly auburn hair and an infectious smile on her face as she threw her arms around Ashley's boyfriend.
Andros had actually laughed, staggering a little with the force of her enthusiasm as he returned her hug. She had released him before he could speak, greeting Zhane and Kerone by name as well before turning to Ashley. "I'm sorry," she had said, a sheepish grin on her face. "I'm afraid I don't remember your name... refresh my memory?"
Ashley would never forget the moment she realized the girl thought she was Kerovan, or her own secret disappointment when she had to tell her otherwise. "That's why I don't remember you!" the girl had exclaimed, as though she had solved one of the great mysteries of the universe. And she had turned her attention back to the others as though Ashley had ceased to exist.
Ashley had tried not to take it personally. After all, the girl *hadn't* known her, and she did seem to know Andros and Zhane and Kerone. The four of them had years and years to catch up on, and she could accept that perfectly well. What had disturbed her more that first time was that no one had thought to introduce the girl to *her*, and it hadn't been until much later that she even learned the other's name.
Kesra. She couldn't help making a face at her reflection in the darkened glass. The name was small and cute and full of energy, just like its bearer. She didn't *mean* to dislike her. In fact, Ashley had gone out of her way to try to like the other girl. But the more she had seen and learned about her, the harder it had become.
Kesra had apparently grown up just down the street from Andros and Kerone. She had lived closer even than Zhane--making her quite literally, Ashley thought, the girl next door. She had admitted that she hadn't had much respect for the boys back then, but they had been classmates and neighbors up until the day Dark Spectre came. Kesra had seen Andros and Zhane become friends. She had been there when Kerone was kidnapped. And when the attack came, she had been evacuated along with everyone else on the planet, forced into hiding with little or no contact with the rest of her people.
Between the three of them, they had shared experiences in their lifetimes that Ashley could only imagine. And yet Kesra was so *cheery*... She was full of energy, with a ready smile for anyone and everyone, including Andros--*especially* Andros. There were days when Ashley thought that Kesra's sole reason for existing in the universe was to remind Ashley of what she had so blithely taken for granted.
Andros didn't see it that way, of course. How could he, when he spent all of his free time taking her on tours of the city, or the district, or whatever location she got it into her head to ask about on a given day? He said it was natural for her to want to see what KO-35 looked like now, and that he enjoyed showing her around because it gave *him* a chance to see everything, too. There was nothing Ashley could say to that, but she had to grit her teeth whenever he added, "Remember she hasn't had company her own age in two years, Ash. She really needs some friends right now."
It wasn't just friends that Kesra wanted; Ashley was fairly sure of that. The fact that Zhane saw it too worried her even more. He had come looking for her earlier tonight, saying that he and Andros were going out and that she was welcome to come.
"Just you and Andros?" she had asked.
He had shrugged a little--sheepishly, she thought. "Maybe Kerone," he had admitted. "But not... you know."
His response had troubled her, and she had asked him, rather hesitantly, what he thought of Kesra. Zhane had frowned, an expression so unusual on him that she had been taken aback. But his words had startled her even more. "I wish she'd stay away from Andros," he had told her bluntly.
She had found herself agreeing whole-heartedly with that sentiment, but her curiosity wanted an explanation. Zhane had only shrugged again and said, "Andros is ours. Yours and mine and Kerone's. All I know is that she doesn't understand him the way we do."
She still wasn't sure whether to be relieved that he understood or dismayed that she could no longer write her reaction off as paranoia. But she did know that her stomach had clenched when she and Zhane stepped out of the building and saw Kesra's red curls leaning against Andros' shoulder as he pointed out something in the distance to her. Kerone had glanced over at them and shrugged helplessly. Ashley had seen a look of irritation flash across Zhane's face, an expression she was sure had been mirrored on her own--but there had been nothing any of them could say.
The evening had proceeded to go just as miserably as she had expected after that. It was worse even than the one time she had invited herself along on one of the tours Kesra had procured, for this time there was no ostensible reason for anyone to be explaining anything. It was taken for granted that everyone knew where they were and what was expected--and the evening had only improved marginally when Zhane finally noticed her confusion and dropped back to keep her company.
She had never been so relieved to come back to a room that wasn't her own as she had been that night. She had lingered outside the door, wondering if she should wait up--Andros had offered to walk Kesra home, and as much as that dismayed her she had thought maybe she could catch him alone when he came back. They hadn't had more than a few minutes alone together since coming to KO-35, and during those few times she had been careful to avoid the subject of Kesra. Now she was afraid that that had been yet another mistake, and she had thought she might at last be able to confront him about it when he returned.
Instead, Zhane had folded his arms and leaned against the wall opposite Andros' door. "Go to sleep, Ash," he had told her. His tone had been serious in a way it usually was not. "I'll wait for him."
She had tried to protest, but he just shook his head. "It's been a long day, and you look like you're about to fall asleep on your feet. Trust me, I'm in better shape to talk to him right now."
He had been right; she hadn't even had enough energy to protest. She had just nodded, retreating without another word... but as exhausted as she still was, she couldn't seem to fall asleep. Finally she had dragged herself out of bed and come to sit in front of the window, gazing mindlessly down at the courtyard below and trying to figure out when things had started to go wrong.
The corridor was dimly lit and completely silent, save for the sound of his footsteps as he made his way through the temporary visitors' compound. He paused outside his door, tapping a simple code into the keypad set into the wall. The door slid quietly open and Andros stepped through, reaching for the lights as the closing door cut off any illumination from the hall.
Zhane's voice, emanating from the darkness, startled him. "Took you long enough."
The lights came up, dispelling the night and casting the room into sharp relief after the muted shadows of the hallway. Zhane was lying on Andros' bed, hands behind his head and eyes closed, with Andros' telekinesis ball hovering in the air above him. "It's practically morning," he added, not bothering to open his eyes. "I thought you'd gotten lost."
"She asked me to come in and have something to drink," Andros muttered, inexplicably embarrassed. His friend's voice was calm, but Zhane was radiating something distinctly... anti-calm. "I didn't want to be rude."
The telekinesis ball twisted rapidly, as though Zhane had grabbed hold of it and spun it like a top. "You didn't want to be rude," he repeated. He didn't move, didn't even turn his head. "Andros, if someone were absolutely, madly in love with you, would you want to be rude to them?"
Andros frowned, trying to figure out what Zhane was talking about. "You can't think Kesra's in *love* with me!"
Zhane opened his eyes and pushed the telekinesis ball aside impatiently as he sat up. "Why is everything about Kesra lately! Did it even cross your mind just now that I might be talking about someone *other* than her?"
Andros blinked, surprised by his friend's vehemence. "I--you mean... Ashley?" Just saying her name made him blush; somehow it seemed incredibly presumptuous to suggest that she might be "absolutely, madly" in love with him.
"Who else?" Zhane demanded. "You know, for someone you swore to me that you'd marry the night the two of you first kissed, you've really been giving her the cold shoulder lately."
"I haven't!" Andros protested. A plaintive voice in the back of his mind whispered, *She ignored me first...* He flushed again, knowing how childish that voice sounded and doing his best to ignore it.
"Yes, you have," Zhane said firmly. "She had a terrible time tonight, Andros. She always does when you're with Kesra--have you even noticed?"
"She's never said anything," Andros muttered, unable to repress a flash of guilt. He had to admit that there had been times when he wished Ashley would care, even just a little, about the amount of time he spent with Kesra. But the thought that it might have seriously upset her was abhorrent to him.
"Did you give her a chance? When was the last time you were alone with her?"
He opened his mouth, then closed it again slowly. "I don't know," he confessed at last. "I... can't remember."
"I bet she does," Zhane said, reaching out to pluck Andros' telekinesis ball out of the air. "Do you still love her?"
Andros stared at him, amazed. "Of course!" he burst out. "How can you even *ask* something like that?"
Zhane shrugged, tossing the collapsed telekinesis ball to his friend. "Maybe a more important question is, can *she* ask something like that."
Andros caught the toy instinctively, staring down at yellow spokes emanating from a red center. "I haven't told her," he admitted softly.
"Then you'd better to tell her now," Zhane informed him. "And you'll have to make it special," he added, a grin spreading across his face. It was a grin that Andros knew all too well... his friend was plotting.
Someone was shaking her. "Go away," she mumbled sleepily, pushing ineffectually at the hand on her shoulder. She tried to burrow deeper in her blankets, but they were nowhere to be found in the already-warm morning air.
"Get up before I listen to you," a familiar voice warned, and she blinked her eyes open.
Zhane was standing beside her bed, not looking at all drowsy. "What's going on?" she muttered, rolling over onto her back and scrubbing at her eyes to try and force them to cooperate. "You're up early."
"Late," he corrected. "Haven't been to bed yet, so don't try and tell me *you're* tired. Come on and get up."
"Why?" she complained, but she put her elbows behind her and pushed herself up. "What's happening?"
"Just trust me." Zhane folded his arms. "You'll be glad you did."
She ran her hands through her hair, trying to stifle a yawn. "Okay, I'm up. What's so important?"
"Get dressed," Zhane ordered. "You're going outside."
"Why am I going outside?" she wanted to know, easing her legs over the edge of the bed. "And I'm not getting dressed with you in the room!"
He rolled his eyes as though she were being deliberately difficult. "Fine. Wear something nice--just not a skirt, okay?" He ducked out of the room before she could question him further, and she wondered what could possibly have gotten into him. He was obviously up to something, and she was willing to bet it involved Andros in some way--but she wished he would just tell her.
"Wear something nice," she muttered under her breath. "That's helpful." She was briefly tempted to put on an old pair of jeans and a sweatshirt just to spite him, but if he really was planning something she had a feeling she was going to owe him.
After some hesitation, she donned jean shorts and a fitted t-shirt with sunflower designs on it. It might not be what he had in mind, but he hadn't exactly been forthcoming and she'd been wanting to wear that t-shirt for days. The yellow and green pattern was cheering in a way she needed right now. She stepped out into the hallway, not bothering to do anything with her hair but brush it.
Zhane looked up from where he was leaning against the opposite wall, in a position strangely reminiscent of last night. That reminded her to wonder what he and Andros had said to each other, but his appreciative grin gave her no room to ask. "You look great," he approved. "Let's go."
"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" she protested, having no choice but to follow as he strode down the hallway.
"Nope," he said cheerfully, taking the stairs two at a time. "You'll see."
He held the door for her when they reached the first floor, and she gave him a suspicious look as she stepped through. He just smiled innocently. Turning back to the courtyard, she squinted against the bright sunlight--and caught her breath when she saw Andros watching their progress. She had almost expected him to be here, but the adoring look on his face was one she hadn't seen in what seemed like forever.
"Hi," he said, sounding shy for the first time in weeks. "Sorry I made Zhane wake you up... I thought you might be, um--a little upset with me right now."
"No, of course not!" Charmed by his embarrassment, her protest was automatic no matter what she might have felt. It was a good thing he was honest, she thought, staring into his hazel eyes. With a look like that, he could get away with anything.
"Well, my work here is done," Zhane said to no one in particular. "I'm going to go crash. Kerone's going to meet Kesra when she shows up and... explain a few things."
"Thanks, Zhane," Ashley murmured, smiling when Andros shot his friend a grateful look. It occurred to her that Zhane had done it again, and she wondered when he had made it his personal mission to smooth out all problems in their relationship.
"Will you come for a ride with me?" Andros asked hesitantly, gesturing to one side. Not until then did she notice his Galaxy Glider hovering a discrete distance away, and she tried not to giggle. Only Andros would treat something so extraordinary as casually as though he was asking her to go for a walk.
She nodded, taking the hand he offered when he stepped up onto his Glider. She found herself in front, and she felt a smile creep across her face as he slid his arms around her waist. "Hold on," he whispered in her ear, shifting closer as she let her hands settle over top of his.
She couldn't help a flutter of nervousness as she felt his Glider hum to life. Normally their morphs protected them from the acceleration and inertia of a Glider ride, but this time all she had were his arms around her to keep her steady.
That proved to be enough. His Glider slid into motion smoothly, accelerating slowly enough that she could keep her balance without effort. She found herself relaxing, leaning back against Andros and letting his embrace dispel some of the awkwardness of the last week. It wasn't often that she got to enjoy a Glider ride for what it was, rather than where it would take her, and it was a wonderful feeling to be able to do it from the comfort of Andros' arms.
It was over too soon, and she was about to object to the deceleration when she realized where they were. She stared, wide-eyed, as the Glider came to a gentle halt in the park. A blanket had been spread out beneath the trees, with what was quite clearly meant to be a picnic nearby... a picnic breakfast?
"Zhane wanted me to take you out to dinner," Andros murmured, as though he knew what she was thinking. "But I couldn't wait that long."
"Zhane helped you set this up?" She didn't really have to ask, but it was the only thing she could think of to say.
"Yeah," Andros admitted sheepishly, climbing off the back of the Glider and picking up a simple bouquet from the edge of the blanket. Turning back to her, he held out his free hand to help her down. "Kind of like the prom all over again, huh?"
She had to laugh as she took his hand and stepped down. "A little," she admitted, searching his expression. "Andros..." As much as she had wanted to confront him last night, now she wasn't sure how to ask. "I know you've been--busy, lately..."
He glanced down as she trailed off, studying the flowers he still held in his hand. "These are for you," he said quickly, as though he was trying to get the words out before he lost his nerve. "But they sort of mean something, and you can't actually take them unless you agree, so..."
It was his turn to hesitate, and she couldn't quite suppress a smile at his apprehension. "So you'll have to tell me what they mean," she prompted, trying not to giggle when he gave her a chagrinned look.
"Well..." He took a deep breath, touching the petals of one of the flowers. "This one means I'm sorry I was such a jerk. And this one," he continued, touching another flower, "means that Kesra is just this girl I know, and I hope you don't think I like her even half as much as I like you."
She bit her lip, putting her hand over her mouth. He looked up and caught her eye, fingering the petals of a third flower. "This one means please forgive me," he said quietly, a heartbreakingly sincere expression on his face. "And all together..."
He swallowed, but he didn't look away. "All together they mean I love you more than anything, and I hope you believe that, because it's the truest thing I've ever said."
She wanted to stare, but she had to blink just to keep the tears in her eyes from escaping. "Oh, Andros..."
Slowly, and without a word, he held the flowers out to her.
"You can't actually take them unless you agree..." She accepted them without hesitation, searching his expression to make sure he knew she understood. His look of relief was as comical as it was endearing.
"I love you too," Ashley whispered, smiling through her tears. "More than anything."
