Can Never Turn Back

Chapter 13: A Mission

Ashley tossed and turned in her sleep. "No...Andros....don't do it...ANDROS!" She screamed. She sat up and was breathing heavily. "Andros..." she whispered. She rubbed her forehead and pushed her hair out behind her ear.

"Mommy?" Hayden called.

Ashley looked up to see her son standing there holding his stuffed dog. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean to scare you," Ashley told him. Hayden climbed into the bed and sat beside his mother in the bed.

"Mommy who's Andros?" He asked.

Ashley wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Andros is your daddy," she replied. Hayden played with the puppy.

"Where is daddy?" He asked.

Ashley bit her lip and she held him tight. "Your daddy went back to his family," she replied. She reached into her nightstand and took out a picture of Andros. "This is your daddy," she added. Hayden looked at the picture and a smile came across his face. He touched the picture with a smile.

"I want to see him," he told her.

Ashley kissed the side of his head. "I know you do," she murmured. Hayden placed his head on her shoulder.

Later that day, Ashley was in the backyard of the Oliver house to see Kimberly bouncing her daughter, Trini, on her lap. "AUNT KIM!" Hayden shouted. Kimberly looked up with a smile as Hayden ran over.

"Hey Hayden," Kimberly greeted.

Hayden kissed her cheek. "Why don't you play with Trini for awhile so mommy and Aunt Kim can talk?" Ashley asked.

"Okay," he replied.

Kimberly set Trini on a blanket and Hayden started playing with her. Ashley sat across from Kimberly. "Hard to believe that Hayden's four now," Kimberly commented. Ashley looked over at Hayden and nodded.

"Yeah, I know," she answered.

Ashley sighed and Kimberly placed a hand over hers. "You okay sweetie?" She asked. Ashley sighed.

"I had another nightmare about Andros last night," Ashley replied.

Kimberly sighed. "I keep dreaming that same dream. That he marries someone else and then the last thing I see is him holding his blaster saying "I'm sorry Ashley" and then everything's dark," she explained.

"It's just a dream," Kimberly assured her.

"What if it's not?"

Ashley looked over at Hayden to see him playing with Trini with a smile on his face. "I don't want my son to grow up without his father anymore. I need to go to KO-35," Ashley informed.

"How are you going to get there?" Kimberly asked.

Ashley reached into her purse and she pulled out her com link. "I stopped using this after Andros stopped answering me," she informed. She set the com link down and smiled when Zhane's face appeared on the screen.

"Ashley? Wow! Long time no see," Zhane commented.

Ashely nodded. "Zhane, is Andros okay?" She asked. Zhane looked at her sadly. "Zhane, what happened?" She asked.

"Andros is falling apart over here ever since you stopped answering him," he replied.

"What? I didn't stop answering him, he stopped answering me."

"Larissa..."

"Who?"

Zhane looked at her. "Larissa, daughter of Leron. She's been stalking Andros for the past four years," he replied. Ashley stood up.

"Zhane, bring the Megaship here, I'm coming to KO-35," she informed.

"Got it, Ash," Zhane answered.

Ashley looked at Kimberly. "I'll watch him," she assured her. Ashley kissed her cheek and she walked over to Hayden.

"You leaving mommy?" Hayden asked.

Ashley picked him up and set him on the picnic table. "Sweetie, I'm going to go see your daddy. We have a lot to talk about," she informed.

"Can I come?" Hayden asked.

"Not this time munchkin. Mommy and daddy need some alone time. I promise next time I'll take you with me."

Hayden nodded and hugged her. "I love you mommy," he told her. Ashley kissed the side of his head and let out a sigh.

"I love you too sweetie," she answered.

She let him go and she left to meet Zhane.

(Miami Park)

Ashley was there with a bag when Zhane teleported to the park. "Zhane..." she murmured. She hugged him tight with a smile. Zhane hugged her back.

"Still the same Ashley," he commented.

Zhane let her go and he stared at her. "There's something different about you though now that I look at you," he commented.

"You'll never guess," she answered.

"I'll be the judge of that," he commented.

Zhane circled her. "Fancier clothes...hmmm...I can see you got your fashion designing dream, but that's not it," he told her. Ashley laughed and shook her head.

"Give up?" She asked.

After a minute Zhane sighed. "Okay, I give up," He confessed. Ashley reached into her bag and pulled out a picture of Hayden.

"Meet Hayden Andros Hammond, my son," she informed.

Zhane looked at the picture. "NO WAY!" He exclaimed. Zhane looked at Ashley. "You and Andros...you...wow..." Zhane trailed off. Ashley laughed and took the picture. "No wonder why before the countdown he was grinning like a moron," he commented. Ashley laughed and she let out a sigh. "Let's get you to KO-35," he told her. Ashley nodded and they got on the ship back to KO-35.

(KO-35)

Andros was standing in front of his mirror pulling on his dress uniform for the banquet he was going to that night. "I hate these things," he muttered. He stared at himself in the mirror and he looked at box that was sitting on his dresser next to Ashley's picture. Andros opened the box to look at the ring inside. He kept the box opened and he pulled his hair back in a ponytail. Andros sighed when there was a knock on the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he answered. He opened the door. "I told you..." he trailed off. Ashley stood there with a small smile.

"Hi, Andros," she greeted.