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eirenicalHappy birthday, Daddy!! ^_^ *ponders* You know... I've always thought it a little unfair to have to share your birthday with a holiday... but to have to share it with Income Tax Day? That is massively of the suck. :-P Oh well, at least he's good-natured about it. ^_^
Fandom: Power Rangers
Pairing: Andros x Zhane, TJ x Ashley... and beyond that, I'm not telling. ^_~
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: Total -- 56,556; shortest part is 3866 words, longest is 6831, most fall somewhere in between. I tried to keep them uniform... it just didn't quite break down that way. :-P
Warnings: Slash. Not mine. Don't sue.
Summary: Andros and Zhane have fought many battles together, both with and against each other. And no one can cause you pain like the one you love, a lesson they have to learn the hard way. Add in three other Ranger teams and a long-lost sister and even that lesson won't be easy. Sequel to Taking Root and Forget Me Not.
April 15, 2010: As you all know, this story took me about 10½ years to write. I worked on it for a year or two, then took an 8 year break when I got stuck on a part. This is the last chapter that was written before that 8 year gap, but is still one of my favorite parts in the fic. ^_^ Enjoy!
A Rose By Any Other Name, Part 5
by Renée-chan
The rain had finally slowed to a drizzle, then ceased, leaving the sky rapidly darkening into twilight, then the dark of full evening. Andros hardly noticed. It took all the concentration he had to keep putting one foot in front of the next -- which was unfortunate for him and quite the opposite for the one hunting him. He didn't even see the foot that shot out of the bushes until it had planted itself firmly into his ribs. He went flying backwards, maintaining just enough presence of mind to duck and roll into the fall. He regained his feet quickly and darted a quick glance around the area. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He knew better than that. Not for the first time, he cursed his emotions. They tripped him up at the worst possible times. He didn't even know if his attacker was from the Dark Fortress or was merely a human out for his wallet. At this point, he almost hoped it was the former -- he could use a good fight.
He let his senses extend out into the night, hoping for some clue. He didn't want to morph without first knowing the identity of his attacker, but being without his defenses was a little unnerving when he knew that a battle was brewing. He forced himself into stillness, trying to gauge where the next attack would come from.
It never did. His attacker stepped out of the bushes with a sheepish, slightly embarrassed smile gracing her features and her hands held out in a gesture of peace. She was a petite brunette clad in jeans, sneakers, a pink leotard and a brown leather jacket. Even before she spoke, Andros knew who she had to be. Her aura was strong, vibrant like few he'd ever seen, and her Guardian Spirit was fierce in his protection. She was the Crane. And that meant that she was Earth's Pink Ranger. What he didn't know was why she'd felt the need to attack him. He relaxed his defensive posture but maintained his senses at their most acute, waiting for her to speak first.
She didn't waste any time getting to the explanations, "Sorry about that, but you weren't responding to my more friendly attempts to say ‘Hello'." She held out her hand with a smile, "Name's Kim. Kim Hart. Nice to meet you."
What is it with Earthers and handshakes? In spite of his dislike of the gesture, Andros gripped her hand and obligingly pumped it up and down. Once that was out of the way, he cleared his throat, "Andros. But I suspect you already knew that."
Tucking her hands sheepishly into her pockets, Kim responded, "I did. I've been looking for you." She tilted her head at him, "You're a hard man to find when you don't want to be found, Andros."
Having spent years honing his skills at "not being found", Andros was less than surprised by that assessment. He was also less than eager to continue this conversation without knowing its purpose. He stared straight into Kimberly's eyes -- an intimidation tactic, but a useful one -- and got ready to start his interrogation. Most people turned away from a direct stare. They ducked their eyes, stammered out apologies, hastened to make amends for whatever they might have done. It was good old-fashioned street politics. Intimidate who you can, avoid who you can't. He became aware that Kimberly Hart wasn't looking away. She was meeting him stare for stare. He blinked and leaned in closer. That was unusual. That was very unusual. Andros found himself intrigued in spite of all his attempts to be otherwise.
Her eyes... they were different, somehow. Underneath the insane level of cheer and friendliness, they were colder. Unlike his fellow Rangers, unlike even Zhane, these eyes had seen hardship. Somewhere, somehow, these eyes had seen the street from the inside. Well. That was interesting. He'd have to ask her about it someday. Deciding that this was useless, he abruptly changed tactics. Giving her the most sincere smile he could manage, Andros asked the question that she'd obviously been hunting for, "So what can I do for you, Kimberly?"
If she was startled by the abrupt change in tone or the abrupt change in topic, she certainly didn't show it. She merely smiled one of those wide smiles and wrapped her arms around her chest, "Well, for starters you can walk someplace warmer with me. It's getting chilly."
Nice try, Kim. This is Angel Grove. It's always warm here and you're not even shivering. You're after something else. I just wish I knew what... Old instincts were beginning to prickle and stir. Something about Kim was rousing them. He hadn't felt this aware of a fellow human being since Mi-- he cut that thought off at the roots. He didn’t need that particular brand of guilt trip. Not now. Not when there was still nothing he could do about it. And since he didn't want to spend time thinking about things he couldn't help, humoring the Pink Ranger at his side seemed a reasonable second option. And it would give him a good reason for not returning to the Megaship. He knew himself well enough to not pretend that he didn't need one. And this was perfect. Resigning himself to an evening in a stranger's company, Andros waved at the wide walkway in front of them, "Lead on, then."
Kimberly smiled, a more predatory look than truly belonged on that innocent-seeming visage, and did.
Kim looked up at the man walking quietly next to her and heaved a huge mental sigh. From beginning to end that confrontation hadn't gone as she'd planned. She'd intended to just "run into" Andros while out walking in the park. She hadn't expected to have to attack him just to get his attention. That level of distraction was a bad sign, not to mention downright dangerous. Tommy had hinted that there was trouble in Andros and Zhane’s little paradise, but nothing of this magnitude. Kim had a sense that what was going on between those two was something akin to what had sent her running to Florida to get away from Tommy. It was a miracle of the highest order that she and Tommy had been able to work things out. To hope for two such miracles in the space of one year... that might well be an unreasonable expectation.
As to what Kim was going to do about it... she wished she had a clue. The flaw in hers and Tommy's relationship had revolved around a very concrete problem with Tommy's powers that they'd eventually been able to fix. This thing between Andros and Zhane was more complicated than that. Yes, there was something wrong, but a trip to Phaedos wouldn't be able to fix it. What they really needed was marriage counseling, something she was ill-equipped to provide and they were likely ill-equipped to receive. Andros, at least, would never talk about his most personal feelings to a stranger. Which of course begged the question: What on Earth was she hoping to accomplish by this?
She didn't have an answer to that. This side-trip to the Juice Bar was a mere stall tactic. She had a feeling that Andros had figured that out and was just being polite in not calling her on it. The boy was a puzzle, if nothing else. It was almost disconcerting. That staring contest they'd engaged in earlier, for example. People didn't do that in polite society. He'd been trying to intimidate her into giving something up and she'd responded in kind without even thinking about it. Instinct drilled into her from that year on the streets had leapt back to the fore as she'd met him stare for stare. When he'd failed to crack her that way, he'd broken off and redirected his tactics. It wasn't until then that she'd realized what he'd been doing. It was a good thing that he hadn't called her on it, she might have spilled everything right there. She hadn't even told Tommy, yet, what she'd been doing in the time she'd been gone. But something about Andros whispered that he would understand. Another piece to the puzzle.
They reached the Juice Bar with Kim still having no idea what she intended to do. Andros held the door open for her, a bemused smile on his face as he regarded the interior. That's right... the current team of Rangers made their "home" at Adele's Surf Spot. He'd probably never been to Ernie's. Speaking of whom... Ernie was meticulously cleaning up the bar, getting ready to close up for the night. Spotting the two of them, he waved, "Hey, Kim. You going to be here long?"
Kim walked up to the bar and sat down, "If you don't mind?"
He smiled as he finished polishing the last of the glasses, "Not at all. Just lock up when you're done, OK?"
Perfect. She nodded, "I will, Ernie. Thanks."
With a gentle smile, Ernie took his leave of the two of them. The sound of the lock clicking home from the outside caused Andros to twitch slightly. A double-edged sword that sound. On the one hand, it meant security. On the other, it meant they were trapped. Only the knowledge that there was access to the lock on the inside kept Kim from twitching along with him. It was always strange to be locked into a place you weren't familiar with, after all.
Now that they were alone, a layer of pretense stripped itself away. Andros walked up to the bar level and leaned back against the railing, arms crossed over his chest. He leveled his gaze at the older Ranger and spoke, "You approached me for a reason. You brought me here for a reason. You're going to tell me what it is."
Easy to see why this man was a Red Ranger. His voice practically exuded authority. Even Kim's rebellious mind wanted to jump to answer that order and the mild threat underlying it. Not something to be ignored, either. Kim had caught him off-guard in the park and that might have been the only reason she'd bested him so easily. Had the fight continued, she had no doubt that he would have quickly gained the upper hand. And that wasn't a theory she wanted to test. But she also didn't want him to think he could intimidate her into an answer. That wasn't a good precedent to set if she wanted him to see her as an equal. So she compromised, "Only if you promise to answer my questions with equal honesty. Believe it or not, I'm here to help, but I can't do it without your cooperation."
She could see it as he mentally weighed the pros and cons -- what she could get out of him versus what he could get her to give up. Another mental sigh for this being so difficult. The distrust in those eyes... Someone had damaged Andros, and badly. She'd seen too many eyes like that on the streets, eyes that couldn't trust, eyes that allowed no one in, eyes that spoke little and betrayed nothing of the personality behind them. Finally they crystallized into determination as he grudgingly gave her this concession, "Within reason. I won't lie to you, but I may not be able to answer all your questions."
She nodded, having expected an answer like that, "I understand."
The atmosphere warmed just a touch as Andros sat down two stools away from her and rested his left elbow on the bar, "Then ask your questions, Pink Ranger."
In spite of herself, Kim started at that, then smiled sheepishly, "I wasn't sure you knew."
He shrugged, "I'm sure that I know more about your current activities than you do mine. The Space Rangers have always had a better information network than any of the planet-bound teams. We've had to."
Kim cleared her throat, "Well, then. That saves me quite a bit of explaining." It's also turning this conversation down a road I didn't want to take it. I'm supposed to help him emotionally, not tactically. Damn it. He should be discussing this with Jason. There was nothing for it, unfortunately. She needed him to trust her and that meant that she was just going to have to let him steer the conversation. Damn. That being the case... "I guess my first question is about your current situation. We have two full Ranger teams and one partial team here. We'd all be willing to help you fight Dark Spectre." She paused, a smile curving her lips, "Actually, I think ‘eager' would be a better word choice." She cocked an eyebrow at him in question.
Another surprise: rather than immediately rejecting or accepting her offer, Andros actually took time to consider it, again weighing the pros and cons. Kim caught herself wondering if the younger man ever did something without thoroughly thinking it through first. It was a good trait in a tactician, an excellent trait in a leader... but in a person, a friend, a lover... not so much. She cut off her musings as Andros finished his own mental deliberations, "That would be a help." She could almost see it as the makings of a plan began to form in the Red Ranger's mind. "One of the largest problems we've had fighting Astronema is that every time she needs to put us off balance she attacks Earth or what remains of KO-35. By sending us running across the galaxy every other week she keeps us from forming any kind of useful strategy." Andros met her eyes directly, "If one team could stay here, it would free us up, enable us to meet Astronema in less risky territory."
Keeping her tone neutral, Kim asked, "And the rest?"
A decisive answer, "Aerin will come with us. She knows the Megaship far better even than Zhane, and her experience would be invaluable." Not even a hitch to his breathing to betray how saying his lover's name must have hurt. Without even being aware of it, Kim had kicked him over into soldier mode. A mild mental curse as she continued to listen. There'd be no talking to him about anything more personal until he was out of it -- which would likely be after setting his plan into action. He continued, "Her partner can come with her or stay behind with you, as he chooses." Well, Billy would be happy to have a choice, at least... "And whichever team doesn't stay behind... I have a favor of a more personal nature to ask of them."
Kim let out a little sigh, "I'll have to discuss this with the others, of course, but it will most likely be the Earth team that will stay behind to defend Earth. That's what we're here for. The Platinum Ranger will probably want to go with Aerin, especially since he's more aware of what's been going on off-planet than the rest of us."
Andros interrupted with the look of a man who's just put together a puzzle, "Ah! That's right. He spent time on Aquitar, didn't he?"
Kim nodded, "That's right." Andros' expression lightened into an almost-smile as he motioned her to continue. "That will leave it to the Zeo Rangers to do this favor for you. Might I ask what sort of favor?"
Eyes more subdued than they'd been all evening, Andros nodded. There was a story here. A long one from the looks of it, and something that was bothering Andros terribly. Maybe she'd be able to be some help, after all... But before she even had a chance to ponder what the problem might be, Andros seemed to come back to himself and shake off the mood. He turned away from her to rest both arms on the counter, "The colonists of KO-35 fled the planet after Dark Spectre's attack. Even I don't know where they've gone. And to make matters worse, they have no Ranger team. However, that doesn't seem to matter to Astronema. Because she can't attack the Kerovan people, she seems intent on attacking their home. I'd like them to have one to come back to someday, but we can't protect Earth, protect KO-35 and form a cohesive strategy to find Zordon and Dark Spectre all at the same time. It would be a help if one of your teams could protect my homeworld the same way the Earth Rangers will protect Earth."
Lie. Kim knew it. It might be a partial truth, but it wasn't a whole truth. There was far more to the story than that. But just as certainly as she knew that Andros wasn't telling her everything, Kim also knew that, at this juncture, she wouldn't be able to pry it out of him. She leaned back on the bar stool, "That's a tall order, Andros, asking one of our teams to go protect an abandoned world for an indefinite amount of time. You realize that I'll have to talk to Jason and Aisha about this before I can guarantee that we can help you."
He nodded, "I expected as much. Since this is the first opportunity that we've had to contact your teams, though, I couldn't pass up the chance."
"I understand." Kim looked away, not entirely certain what she was supposed to say now that the ‘business' end of things had been cleared up. No part of this night had gone as she'd planned...
Andros' quiet voice slid into the silence as she was still contemplating how to break it, "I met a young man this afternoon. He told me a story about himself. I can't help but think you're connected to it somehow." His eyes drifted up from where they were fixed on the bar to settle on her own, "It wasn't coincidence that you ran into me... was it?"
Kim could almost feel her eyes growing wider. Andros was good. She slowly nodded, "Tommy is my boyfriend and Earth's Green Ranger. He asked me to find you and talk to you."
Andros nodded, apparently having expected that answer, "You're the one that ran off on him."
She winced. Running away had not been her best decision. Breaking up with Tommy because she was afraid to try to get to the root of their problems had been her worst decision. Neither were choices she was proud of. Andros took her silence and her flinch as assent and continued in a hushed, confused tone, "There's one thing that I don't understand..."
Could it be this easy? She hadn't truly expected Andros to open up and talk to her, much less that it would be he to broach the subject. What she couldn't deny, however, was that on some level, a sort of camaraderie had grown up between them. Something in her recognized something in Andros as a kindred spirit. Maybe it was enough.
Andros took a deep breath, "I understand why you left him. What I don't understand is why you came back. If he treated you so badly, pushed you away so harshly, what made you give him a second chance?"
Oh, how she wanted to wrap her arms around him! She didn't dare, though. What little trust he had in her would be shattered if she even tried. Only one person was allowed to take those sorts of liberties with Andros and it wasn't her. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Even though she'd gone looking for him to discuss this very thing, Kim was suddenly unsure if she was up to the task. But she had to try, regardless. Matching the younger man's quiet tone, Kim answered as best as she was able, "I love him. He loves me. No matter what stupid stunts he pulled, no matter how badly he suffocated me, I still knew that."
Andros raised haunted eyes to meet hers, "But love isn't enough. We have that and it didn't prevent--" He abruptly cut off what he was about to say, swallowing hard and breaking eye contact.
"I don't have an easy answer for you, Andros. I wish I did. But the truth is, while love is easy, relationships are hard work. They take constant effort on both sides. And more than anything, they take communication. It doesn't matter how tight your mental bond is, you still can't read everything in your friends' thoughts and they can't read everything in yours. If something is wrong, you need to talk to them about it. You need to be open to hearing what they want and finding ways to compromise. It's the most difficult thing in the world..." And now a soft smile, "...but it's also the most worthwhile. After all, what are we without our friends?"
Andros refused to look up, "So it's all about talking? Sharing your thoughts, your feelings, your every mood?" He abruptly stood up and stalked back over to the railing, tense unhappiness written in every line of his body, "What if it isn't that easy?" He whirled back to face her, "You, your boyfriend, Zhane, the other Space Rangers -- you all say ‘Let's talk about it,' as if it's something that everyone can do. Well, what if you can't? What if you keep things inside for a reason? What if it's the most terrifying thing in the world for you to admit to someone else that you're vulnerable? What if you just can't do it? How do you salvage things then?"
Those blazing brown orbs showed more passion, more emotion, than Kim had seen in them all night. The shutters were thrown back and everything normally hidden within was wide out in the open for everyone to see. Kim wanted to jump up and cheer. Instead, she smiled, "That's a good start. Tell Zhane what you just told me, Andros. He knows you're afraid. He wants to help you get past it. Trust me on this one. I know what I'm talking about."
Andros stepped back from her as if she'd thrown a live snake in his face. He was going to bolt in a minute, but at least he would have plenty to think about when he did. Kim just hoped that he would actually take some time to do so.
Under the cover of rummaging in her purse, Kim broke eye contact to give Andros a moment to compose himself. When her fingers closed on her spare communicator, Kim looked back up. Andros was poised on the balls of his feet, as though the desire to stay and the instinct to run were warring inside him. Not wanting to push this fragile alliance any further tonight, Kim decided for him that discretion was the better part of valor. She tossed the communicator to him with a short explanation, "So we can contact you once we meet to discuss the situation."
Andros gave a short nod as he slipped the device into his pocket. He turned, walked a few steps towards the door, then paused. Without fully turning back to face her, he said, "Thank you, Kimberly. I'll think about what you said. I don't know if I can..." His voice trailed off, leaving the last words unspoken, ...But I'll try.
It was more than Kim would have asked for and better than she'd had any right to hope. She gave him back a beaming smile, "Any time, Andros. Any time." It only took the time for those five words to escape her lips for Andros to be out the door and away into the night.
Once the door was closed behind him, Kim let her head drop onto the bar in exhaustion. A little moan escaped her lips, "Tommy, that is the last time I let you talk me into doing you a favor..."
As midnight settled its full blanket of stars around the shining globe that was the planet Earth, it found most of its current cast of characters sleeping. Jason was tucked up in his room with Aerin and Everett dreaming above them. Billy was sleeping peacefully in his own bed across town, his grateful father sleeping down the hall. Tommy and Kimberly were curled around each other, sleeping the sleep of the hard-worked and exhausted. The Lightstar Rangers were all asleep in their separate bunks... for the first time in almost two years.
On the other side of the galaxy, however, a new character was not nearly so blessed. Having tossed and turned the entire last night through, gripped by nightmares that she couldn't recall upon waking, she'd been irritable and out-of-sorts all day. Wanting nothing more than to hole up in her rooms and sulk, she had not even listened to Ecliptor's suggestions that a fight with the Rangers might warm her blood. Normally she was quick to follow her long-time guardian's advice, but today she had felt unusually reticent. Her nightmares, as they so often did at this time of year, had unbalanced her completely and now she was finding that a night of interrupted sleep plus a day of being a slug-a-bed combined to make one quite unprepared to sleep the next night.
Finally giving it up as a complete loss, Astronema threw off her blankets and rose from her bed. Slipping on a simple, long-sleeved black dress, she padded barefoot out of her chambers and down the hall to the soft green glow of the bridge of the Dark Fortress. With no alien make-up hiding her features, no exuberantly colored wig to hide the tawny gold of her hair and no adornment but the locket that was the only thing she possessed of her former life, Astronema looked almost human. She didn't often dare wander about the Dark Fortress so dressed, but tonight it felt right, though she couldn't have explained why.
So it was with complete dismay that she realized that the one being on board who should not see her thus was the sole occupant of the bridge. And he was sitting in her chair. Her fist clenched at her side, Astronema spat out his name like a bad taste in her mouth, "Darkonda."
He turned to face her, a sinister smile on his reptilian features, "Why, Princess! I hardly recognized you. If it weren't for those eyes..." He paused, smile widening, "...I'd have taken you for a human."
Narrowing those inhumanly cold eyes, the promise of a world of hurt laid out in them, Astronema stepped up next to her command chair to glare down at Darkonda. She would not be intimidated, not by the likes of him and especially not on her own bridge, "It's unfortunate for you that I am nothing of the kind. You will remove yourself from my chair and my presence, Darkonda. I have no patience for you this night."
The reptilian monster, far from cowed, nonetheless stood up and waved her down into her chair, "As you wish, my Princess. Let it not be said that I disobeyed orders." Turning to leave, he tossed only one parting shot over his shoulder, "By the way, Princess... you're looking paler than usual. How have you been sleeping?"
Astronema only dignified that response with a low growl. Chuckling the whole way, as though at a punch line only he understood, Darkonda finally left her alone. Astronema sighed as she relaxed her posture. The creature was useful on occasion, but he was such a trial to her. She never quite knew what he was thinking and she knew she couldn't trust him. Unfortunately, she needed him. He presented solutions to too many problems that were otherwise unsolvable. But that didn't mean she had to like him.
Full of the melancholy of the last few days, Astronema pulled off her locket and gently opened it. It was the only remnant she had of the life she had lived before she was "Astronema" and the only image she had of her lost twin. They'd been so very young when he died... when the Rangers had killed him. It wasn't fair. They'd been so innocent and they hadn't been hurting anyone. What had he done to deserve that fate?
She brushed her fingers over the old portrait, cataloging each feature they passed. She knew them all by heart, anyway: the hair that matched her own tawny gold, only with the colors separated out into wider bands; the warm earth-brown color of his eyes; the innocent, happy smile... He'd never had the chance to grow into the handsome face that should have been his, never had a chance to grow into the power and charisma that she somehow knew he would have possessed. He'd had all that promise taken away from him when he was only three. She hated those who had done it, wanted to see them all destroyed. And she would. Starting tomorrow.
A/N:
Again... just not up for chibi-silliness today. Still drained from yesterday. The legal system sucks. :-P
Master Post and Chapter List
Questions, comments, ruby red grapefruit?
Coming Soon: All hands on deck! In which all the other Rangers get first-hand experience with exactly how screwed up Andros is and we learn why it is very bad when Astronema doesn't get a full night's sleep. Poor Rangers.
Fandom: Power Rangers
Pairing: Andros x Zhane, TJ x Ashley... and beyond that, I'm not telling. ^_~
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: Total -- 56,556; shortest part is 3866 words, longest is 6831, most fall somewhere in between. I tried to keep them uniform... it just didn't quite break down that way. :-P
Warnings: Slash. Not mine. Don't sue.
Summary: Andros and Zhane have fought many battles together, both with and against each other. And no one can cause you pain like the one you love, a lesson they have to learn the hard way. Add in three other Ranger teams and a long-lost sister and even that lesson won't be easy. Sequel to Taking Root and Forget Me Not.
April 15, 2010: As you all know, this story took me about 10½ years to write. I worked on it for a year or two, then took an 8 year break when I got stuck on a part. This is the last chapter that was written before that 8 year gap, but is still one of my favorite parts in the fic. ^_^ Enjoy!
by Renée-chan
The rain had finally slowed to a drizzle, then ceased, leaving the sky rapidly darkening into twilight, then the dark of full evening. Andros hardly noticed. It took all the concentration he had to keep putting one foot in front of the next -- which was unfortunate for him and quite the opposite for the one hunting him. He didn't even see the foot that shot out of the bushes until it had planted itself firmly into his ribs. He went flying backwards, maintaining just enough presence of mind to duck and roll into the fall. He regained his feet quickly and darted a quick glance around the area. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He knew better than that. Not for the first time, he cursed his emotions. They tripped him up at the worst possible times. He didn't even know if his attacker was from the Dark Fortress or was merely a human out for his wallet. At this point, he almost hoped it was the former -- he could use a good fight.
He let his senses extend out into the night, hoping for some clue. He didn't want to morph without first knowing the identity of his attacker, but being without his defenses was a little unnerving when he knew that a battle was brewing. He forced himself into stillness, trying to gauge where the next attack would come from.
It never did. His attacker stepped out of the bushes with a sheepish, slightly embarrassed smile gracing her features and her hands held out in a gesture of peace. She was a petite brunette clad in jeans, sneakers, a pink leotard and a brown leather jacket. Even before she spoke, Andros knew who she had to be. Her aura was strong, vibrant like few he'd ever seen, and her Guardian Spirit was fierce in his protection. She was the Crane. And that meant that she was Earth's Pink Ranger. What he didn't know was why she'd felt the need to attack him. He relaxed his defensive posture but maintained his senses at their most acute, waiting for her to speak first.
She didn't waste any time getting to the explanations, "Sorry about that, but you weren't responding to my more friendly attempts to say ‘Hello'." She held out her hand with a smile, "Name's Kim. Kim Hart. Nice to meet you."
What is it with Earthers and handshakes? In spite of his dislike of the gesture, Andros gripped her hand and obligingly pumped it up and down. Once that was out of the way, he cleared his throat, "Andros. But I suspect you already knew that."
Tucking her hands sheepishly into her pockets, Kim responded, "I did. I've been looking for you." She tilted her head at him, "You're a hard man to find when you don't want to be found, Andros."
Having spent years honing his skills at "not being found", Andros was less than surprised by that assessment. He was also less than eager to continue this conversation without knowing its purpose. He stared straight into Kimberly's eyes -- an intimidation tactic, but a useful one -- and got ready to start his interrogation. Most people turned away from a direct stare. They ducked their eyes, stammered out apologies, hastened to make amends for whatever they might have done. It was good old-fashioned street politics. Intimidate who you can, avoid who you can't. He became aware that Kimberly Hart wasn't looking away. She was meeting him stare for stare. He blinked and leaned in closer. That was unusual. That was very unusual. Andros found himself intrigued in spite of all his attempts to be otherwise.
Her eyes... they were different, somehow. Underneath the insane level of cheer and friendliness, they were colder. Unlike his fellow Rangers, unlike even Zhane, these eyes had seen hardship. Somewhere, somehow, these eyes had seen the street from the inside. Well. That was interesting. He'd have to ask her about it someday. Deciding that this was useless, he abruptly changed tactics. Giving her the most sincere smile he could manage, Andros asked the question that she'd obviously been hunting for, "So what can I do for you, Kimberly?"
If she was startled by the abrupt change in tone or the abrupt change in topic, she certainly didn't show it. She merely smiled one of those wide smiles and wrapped her arms around her chest, "Well, for starters you can walk someplace warmer with me. It's getting chilly."
Nice try, Kim. This is Angel Grove. It's always warm here and you're not even shivering. You're after something else. I just wish I knew what... Old instincts were beginning to prickle and stir. Something about Kim was rousing them. He hadn't felt this aware of a fellow human being since Mi-- he cut that thought off at the roots. He didn’t need that particular brand of guilt trip. Not now. Not when there was still nothing he could do about it. And since he didn't want to spend time thinking about things he couldn't help, humoring the Pink Ranger at his side seemed a reasonable second option. And it would give him a good reason for not returning to the Megaship. He knew himself well enough to not pretend that he didn't need one. And this was perfect. Resigning himself to an evening in a stranger's company, Andros waved at the wide walkway in front of them, "Lead on, then."
Kimberly smiled, a more predatory look than truly belonged on that innocent-seeming visage, and did.
Kim looked up at the man walking quietly next to her and heaved a huge mental sigh. From beginning to end that confrontation hadn't gone as she'd planned. She'd intended to just "run into" Andros while out walking in the park. She hadn't expected to have to attack him just to get his attention. That level of distraction was a bad sign, not to mention downright dangerous. Tommy had hinted that there was trouble in Andros and Zhane’s little paradise, but nothing of this magnitude. Kim had a sense that what was going on between those two was something akin to what had sent her running to Florida to get away from Tommy. It was a miracle of the highest order that she and Tommy had been able to work things out. To hope for two such miracles in the space of one year... that might well be an unreasonable expectation.
As to what Kim was going to do about it... she wished she had a clue. The flaw in hers and Tommy's relationship had revolved around a very concrete problem with Tommy's powers that they'd eventually been able to fix. This thing between Andros and Zhane was more complicated than that. Yes, there was something wrong, but a trip to Phaedos wouldn't be able to fix it. What they really needed was marriage counseling, something she was ill-equipped to provide and they were likely ill-equipped to receive. Andros, at least, would never talk about his most personal feelings to a stranger. Which of course begged the question: What on Earth was she hoping to accomplish by this?
She didn't have an answer to that. This side-trip to the Juice Bar was a mere stall tactic. She had a feeling that Andros had figured that out and was just being polite in not calling her on it. The boy was a puzzle, if nothing else. It was almost disconcerting. That staring contest they'd engaged in earlier, for example. People didn't do that in polite society. He'd been trying to intimidate her into giving something up and she'd responded in kind without even thinking about it. Instinct drilled into her from that year on the streets had leapt back to the fore as she'd met him stare for stare. When he'd failed to crack her that way, he'd broken off and redirected his tactics. It wasn't until then that she'd realized what he'd been doing. It was a good thing that he hadn't called her on it, she might have spilled everything right there. She hadn't even told Tommy, yet, what she'd been doing in the time she'd been gone. But something about Andros whispered that he would understand. Another piece to the puzzle.
They reached the Juice Bar with Kim still having no idea what she intended to do. Andros held the door open for her, a bemused smile on his face as he regarded the interior. That's right... the current team of Rangers made their "home" at Adele's Surf Spot. He'd probably never been to Ernie's. Speaking of whom... Ernie was meticulously cleaning up the bar, getting ready to close up for the night. Spotting the two of them, he waved, "Hey, Kim. You going to be here long?"
Kim walked up to the bar and sat down, "If you don't mind?"
He smiled as he finished polishing the last of the glasses, "Not at all. Just lock up when you're done, OK?"
Perfect. She nodded, "I will, Ernie. Thanks."
With a gentle smile, Ernie took his leave of the two of them. The sound of the lock clicking home from the outside caused Andros to twitch slightly. A double-edged sword that sound. On the one hand, it meant security. On the other, it meant they were trapped. Only the knowledge that there was access to the lock on the inside kept Kim from twitching along with him. It was always strange to be locked into a place you weren't familiar with, after all.
Now that they were alone, a layer of pretense stripped itself away. Andros walked up to the bar level and leaned back against the railing, arms crossed over his chest. He leveled his gaze at the older Ranger and spoke, "You approached me for a reason. You brought me here for a reason. You're going to tell me what it is."
Easy to see why this man was a Red Ranger. His voice practically exuded authority. Even Kim's rebellious mind wanted to jump to answer that order and the mild threat underlying it. Not something to be ignored, either. Kim had caught him off-guard in the park and that might have been the only reason she'd bested him so easily. Had the fight continued, she had no doubt that he would have quickly gained the upper hand. And that wasn't a theory she wanted to test. But she also didn't want him to think he could intimidate her into an answer. That wasn't a good precedent to set if she wanted him to see her as an equal. So she compromised, "Only if you promise to answer my questions with equal honesty. Believe it or not, I'm here to help, but I can't do it without your cooperation."
She could see it as he mentally weighed the pros and cons -- what she could get out of him versus what he could get her to give up. Another mental sigh for this being so difficult. The distrust in those eyes... Someone had damaged Andros, and badly. She'd seen too many eyes like that on the streets, eyes that couldn't trust, eyes that allowed no one in, eyes that spoke little and betrayed nothing of the personality behind them. Finally they crystallized into determination as he grudgingly gave her this concession, "Within reason. I won't lie to you, but I may not be able to answer all your questions."
She nodded, having expected an answer like that, "I understand."
The atmosphere warmed just a touch as Andros sat down two stools away from her and rested his left elbow on the bar, "Then ask your questions, Pink Ranger."
In spite of herself, Kim started at that, then smiled sheepishly, "I wasn't sure you knew."
He shrugged, "I'm sure that I know more about your current activities than you do mine. The Space Rangers have always had a better information network than any of the planet-bound teams. We've had to."
Kim cleared her throat, "Well, then. That saves me quite a bit of explaining." It's also turning this conversation down a road I didn't want to take it. I'm supposed to help him emotionally, not tactically. Damn it. He should be discussing this with Jason. There was nothing for it, unfortunately. She needed him to trust her and that meant that she was just going to have to let him steer the conversation. Damn. That being the case... "I guess my first question is about your current situation. We have two full Ranger teams and one partial team here. We'd all be willing to help you fight Dark Spectre." She paused, a smile curving her lips, "Actually, I think ‘eager' would be a better word choice." She cocked an eyebrow at him in question.
Another surprise: rather than immediately rejecting or accepting her offer, Andros actually took time to consider it, again weighing the pros and cons. Kim caught herself wondering if the younger man ever did something without thoroughly thinking it through first. It was a good trait in a tactician, an excellent trait in a leader... but in a person, a friend, a lover... not so much. She cut off her musings as Andros finished his own mental deliberations, "That would be a help." She could almost see it as the makings of a plan began to form in the Red Ranger's mind. "One of the largest problems we've had fighting Astronema is that every time she needs to put us off balance she attacks Earth or what remains of KO-35. By sending us running across the galaxy every other week she keeps us from forming any kind of useful strategy." Andros met her eyes directly, "If one team could stay here, it would free us up, enable us to meet Astronema in less risky territory."
Keeping her tone neutral, Kim asked, "And the rest?"
A decisive answer, "Aerin will come with us. She knows the Megaship far better even than Zhane, and her experience would be invaluable." Not even a hitch to his breathing to betray how saying his lover's name must have hurt. Without even being aware of it, Kim had kicked him over into soldier mode. A mild mental curse as she continued to listen. There'd be no talking to him about anything more personal until he was out of it -- which would likely be after setting his plan into action. He continued, "Her partner can come with her or stay behind with you, as he chooses." Well, Billy would be happy to have a choice, at least... "And whichever team doesn't stay behind... I have a favor of a more personal nature to ask of them."
Kim let out a little sigh, "I'll have to discuss this with the others, of course, but it will most likely be the Earth team that will stay behind to defend Earth. That's what we're here for. The Platinum Ranger will probably want to go with Aerin, especially since he's more aware of what's been going on off-planet than the rest of us."
Andros interrupted with the look of a man who's just put together a puzzle, "Ah! That's right. He spent time on Aquitar, didn't he?"
Kim nodded, "That's right." Andros' expression lightened into an almost-smile as he motioned her to continue. "That will leave it to the Zeo Rangers to do this favor for you. Might I ask what sort of favor?"
Eyes more subdued than they'd been all evening, Andros nodded. There was a story here. A long one from the looks of it, and something that was bothering Andros terribly. Maybe she'd be able to be some help, after all... But before she even had a chance to ponder what the problem might be, Andros seemed to come back to himself and shake off the mood. He turned away from her to rest both arms on the counter, "The colonists of KO-35 fled the planet after Dark Spectre's attack. Even I don't know where they've gone. And to make matters worse, they have no Ranger team. However, that doesn't seem to matter to Astronema. Because she can't attack the Kerovan people, she seems intent on attacking their home. I'd like them to have one to come back to someday, but we can't protect Earth, protect KO-35 and form a cohesive strategy to find Zordon and Dark Spectre all at the same time. It would be a help if one of your teams could protect my homeworld the same way the Earth Rangers will protect Earth."
Lie. Kim knew it. It might be a partial truth, but it wasn't a whole truth. There was far more to the story than that. But just as certainly as she knew that Andros wasn't telling her everything, Kim also knew that, at this juncture, she wouldn't be able to pry it out of him. She leaned back on the bar stool, "That's a tall order, Andros, asking one of our teams to go protect an abandoned world for an indefinite amount of time. You realize that I'll have to talk to Jason and Aisha about this before I can guarantee that we can help you."
He nodded, "I expected as much. Since this is the first opportunity that we've had to contact your teams, though, I couldn't pass up the chance."
"I understand." Kim looked away, not entirely certain what she was supposed to say now that the ‘business' end of things had been cleared up. No part of this night had gone as she'd planned...
Andros' quiet voice slid into the silence as she was still contemplating how to break it, "I met a young man this afternoon. He told me a story about himself. I can't help but think you're connected to it somehow." His eyes drifted up from where they were fixed on the bar to settle on her own, "It wasn't coincidence that you ran into me... was it?"
Kim could almost feel her eyes growing wider. Andros was good. She slowly nodded, "Tommy is my boyfriend and Earth's Green Ranger. He asked me to find you and talk to you."
Andros nodded, apparently having expected that answer, "You're the one that ran off on him."
She winced. Running away had not been her best decision. Breaking up with Tommy because she was afraid to try to get to the root of their problems had been her worst decision. Neither were choices she was proud of. Andros took her silence and her flinch as assent and continued in a hushed, confused tone, "There's one thing that I don't understand..."
Could it be this easy? She hadn't truly expected Andros to open up and talk to her, much less that it would be he to broach the subject. What she couldn't deny, however, was that on some level, a sort of camaraderie had grown up between them. Something in her recognized something in Andros as a kindred spirit. Maybe it was enough.
Andros took a deep breath, "I understand why you left him. What I don't understand is why you came back. If he treated you so badly, pushed you away so harshly, what made you give him a second chance?"
Oh, how she wanted to wrap her arms around him! She didn't dare, though. What little trust he had in her would be shattered if she even tried. Only one person was allowed to take those sorts of liberties with Andros and it wasn't her. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Even though she'd gone looking for him to discuss this very thing, Kim was suddenly unsure if she was up to the task. But she had to try, regardless. Matching the younger man's quiet tone, Kim answered as best as she was able, "I love him. He loves me. No matter what stupid stunts he pulled, no matter how badly he suffocated me, I still knew that."
Andros raised haunted eyes to meet hers, "But love isn't enough. We have that and it didn't prevent--" He abruptly cut off what he was about to say, swallowing hard and breaking eye contact.
"I don't have an easy answer for you, Andros. I wish I did. But the truth is, while love is easy, relationships are hard work. They take constant effort on both sides. And more than anything, they take communication. It doesn't matter how tight your mental bond is, you still can't read everything in your friends' thoughts and they can't read everything in yours. If something is wrong, you need to talk to them about it. You need to be open to hearing what they want and finding ways to compromise. It's the most difficult thing in the world..." And now a soft smile, "...but it's also the most worthwhile. After all, what are we without our friends?"
Andros refused to look up, "So it's all about talking? Sharing your thoughts, your feelings, your every mood?" He abruptly stood up and stalked back over to the railing, tense unhappiness written in every line of his body, "What if it isn't that easy?" He whirled back to face her, "You, your boyfriend, Zhane, the other Space Rangers -- you all say ‘Let's talk about it,' as if it's something that everyone can do. Well, what if you can't? What if you keep things inside for a reason? What if it's the most terrifying thing in the world for you to admit to someone else that you're vulnerable? What if you just can't do it? How do you salvage things then?"
Those blazing brown orbs showed more passion, more emotion, than Kim had seen in them all night. The shutters were thrown back and everything normally hidden within was wide out in the open for everyone to see. Kim wanted to jump up and cheer. Instead, she smiled, "That's a good start. Tell Zhane what you just told me, Andros. He knows you're afraid. He wants to help you get past it. Trust me on this one. I know what I'm talking about."
Andros stepped back from her as if she'd thrown a live snake in his face. He was going to bolt in a minute, but at least he would have plenty to think about when he did. Kim just hoped that he would actually take some time to do so.
Under the cover of rummaging in her purse, Kim broke eye contact to give Andros a moment to compose himself. When her fingers closed on her spare communicator, Kim looked back up. Andros was poised on the balls of his feet, as though the desire to stay and the instinct to run were warring inside him. Not wanting to push this fragile alliance any further tonight, Kim decided for him that discretion was the better part of valor. She tossed the communicator to him with a short explanation, "So we can contact you once we meet to discuss the situation."
Andros gave a short nod as he slipped the device into his pocket. He turned, walked a few steps towards the door, then paused. Without fully turning back to face her, he said, "Thank you, Kimberly. I'll think about what you said. I don't know if I can..." His voice trailed off, leaving the last words unspoken, ...But I'll try.
It was more than Kim would have asked for and better than she'd had any right to hope. She gave him back a beaming smile, "Any time, Andros. Any time." It only took the time for those five words to escape her lips for Andros to be out the door and away into the night.
Once the door was closed behind him, Kim let her head drop onto the bar in exhaustion. A little moan escaped her lips, "Tommy, that is the last time I let you talk me into doing you a favor..."
As midnight settled its full blanket of stars around the shining globe that was the planet Earth, it found most of its current cast of characters sleeping. Jason was tucked up in his room with Aerin and Everett dreaming above them. Billy was sleeping peacefully in his own bed across town, his grateful father sleeping down the hall. Tommy and Kimberly were curled around each other, sleeping the sleep of the hard-worked and exhausted. The Lightstar Rangers were all asleep in their separate bunks... for the first time in almost two years.
On the other side of the galaxy, however, a new character was not nearly so blessed. Having tossed and turned the entire last night through, gripped by nightmares that she couldn't recall upon waking, she'd been irritable and out-of-sorts all day. Wanting nothing more than to hole up in her rooms and sulk, she had not even listened to Ecliptor's suggestions that a fight with the Rangers might warm her blood. Normally she was quick to follow her long-time guardian's advice, but today she had felt unusually reticent. Her nightmares, as they so often did at this time of year, had unbalanced her completely and now she was finding that a night of interrupted sleep plus a day of being a slug-a-bed combined to make one quite unprepared to sleep the next night.
Finally giving it up as a complete loss, Astronema threw off her blankets and rose from her bed. Slipping on a simple, long-sleeved black dress, she padded barefoot out of her chambers and down the hall to the soft green glow of the bridge of the Dark Fortress. With no alien make-up hiding her features, no exuberantly colored wig to hide the tawny gold of her hair and no adornment but the locket that was the only thing she possessed of her former life, Astronema looked almost human. She didn't often dare wander about the Dark Fortress so dressed, but tonight it felt right, though she couldn't have explained why.
So it was with complete dismay that she realized that the one being on board who should not see her thus was the sole occupant of the bridge. And he was sitting in her chair. Her fist clenched at her side, Astronema spat out his name like a bad taste in her mouth, "Darkonda."
He turned to face her, a sinister smile on his reptilian features, "Why, Princess! I hardly recognized you. If it weren't for those eyes..." He paused, smile widening, "...I'd have taken you for a human."
Narrowing those inhumanly cold eyes, the promise of a world of hurt laid out in them, Astronema stepped up next to her command chair to glare down at Darkonda. She would not be intimidated, not by the likes of him and especially not on her own bridge, "It's unfortunate for you that I am nothing of the kind. You will remove yourself from my chair and my presence, Darkonda. I have no patience for you this night."
The reptilian monster, far from cowed, nonetheless stood up and waved her down into her chair, "As you wish, my Princess. Let it not be said that I disobeyed orders." Turning to leave, he tossed only one parting shot over his shoulder, "By the way, Princess... you're looking paler than usual. How have you been sleeping?"
Astronema only dignified that response with a low growl. Chuckling the whole way, as though at a punch line only he understood, Darkonda finally left her alone. Astronema sighed as she relaxed her posture. The creature was useful on occasion, but he was such a trial to her. She never quite knew what he was thinking and she knew she couldn't trust him. Unfortunately, she needed him. He presented solutions to too many problems that were otherwise unsolvable. But that didn't mean she had to like him.
Full of the melancholy of the last few days, Astronema pulled off her locket and gently opened it. It was the only remnant she had of the life she had lived before she was "Astronema" and the only image she had of her lost twin. They'd been so very young when he died... when the Rangers had killed him. It wasn't fair. They'd been so innocent and they hadn't been hurting anyone. What had he done to deserve that fate?
She brushed her fingers over the old portrait, cataloging each feature they passed. She knew them all by heart, anyway: the hair that matched her own tawny gold, only with the colors separated out into wider bands; the warm earth-brown color of his eyes; the innocent, happy smile... He'd never had the chance to grow into the handsome face that should have been his, never had a chance to grow into the power and charisma that she somehow knew he would have possessed. He'd had all that promise taken away from him when he was only three. She hated those who had done it, wanted to see them all destroyed. And she would. Starting tomorrow.
A/N:
Again... just not up for chibi-silliness today. Still drained from yesterday. The legal system sucks. :-P
Master Post and Chapter List
Questions, comments, ruby red grapefruit?
Coming Soon: All hands on deck! In which all the other Rangers get first-hand experience with exactly how screwed up Andros is and we learn why it is very bad when Astronema doesn't get a full night's sleep. Poor Rangers.
