Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the Power Rangers. This is not my toy box, I'm merely playing.

Spoilers: Post LG.

A/N: Written as a present for Tsukino_Akume.

Soup and Bed Rest:

Karone entered her brother's room and immediately started telling him, "I'm not exactly sure how it's suppose to help, but Cassie said that chicken noodle soup was the best for a cold and I know you don't have an Earth cold, but it smells good so…"

She trailed off as he stared at her, the guilt evident on his face. She wasn't exactly sure why he was trying to pretend he wasn't sick. Her brother showed every emotion on his face, he was desperately easy to read. It was probably a good thing he had a helmet covering his face when he was saving the world, the galaxy.

She set the bowl of soup on the nearby table and crossed her arms. He looked down, but continued to button his uniform.

"You want to explain to me where you think you're going?"

"I've feeling a lot better," he tried.

"With a Tentorian cold?" she asked.

"I'm fine."

"You are not fine. You need to be in bed!"

"I've been in bed. I'm feeling a lot better now."

"Probably because the medicine DECA told you to take finally kicked in," Karone tried.

"Karone," he complained gently.

"Andros," she challenged.

He finished buttoning his uniform and began to smooth it out.

"If this was just an Earth cold I wouldn't be worried," she pointed out.

"I have work to do," he countered.

Karone sighed. Thinking he'd won their little argument Andros straightened his shoulders and began to tie back his hair. Karone marched up to him and shoved, sending Andros stumbling back towards his bed. She pounced, landing on top of him.

"Hi!" she greeted with a grin.

"What are you going to do, sit on me till I fall asleep?"

"Now there's an idea," Karone grinned, "Everyone's worried. TJ says it sounds similar to something called Mono. Have you ever heard of that?"

"No, but I have to get back to work. I'm not that sick."

"But DECA said…"

"DECA likes to nag me," Andros told her, then grimaced when she tried to find a more comfortable way to sit on him.

It wasn't going to work, Karone decided, the sitting on him was far too uncomfortable, especially for him, if the grouchy look on his face was any indication. She slide around until she had was laying next to him, holding him from behind. She reached down and pulled his covers over him before wrapping her arms around him again. She rested her chin on his shoulder and smiled when she felt some of the tension ease from him.

"You're slipping," she teased, "if you're bed isn't made."

"I hadn't gotten to it yet."

"Did we used to do this?" she asked, carefully changing the subject, not wanting him to think about going back to work, "When we were kids?"

He turned in her arms, brushed a strand of hair from her face, "We used to, when we had nightmares."

"You still get those?" she asked as she pulled his hair out of the tie he'd put it in. He reached for it and she threw it across the room. He started to push off the bed and she dragged him back to her.

"Yeah," he admitted, closing his eyes.

"I'm here now," she reassure as she brushed his hair back behind his ear, "to chase them away."

"I'm really not that…" he started and then broke off to yawn.

"See, DECA was right. Bed rest for you."

"I could get you sick," he muttered.

"My vacation. I decided what germs I expose myself too," she pointed out.

He let out a huff that she took as defeat. She wrapped her arms around him a bit tighter and grinned when he relaxed just that little bit more. He closed his eyes. They laid still for a moment before he asked, "Karone?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't like you very much right now."

"Too bad."

"Are you going to let me finish?" Andros asked.

"There was more?" she asked.

"I was going to say…"

"Before I so rudely interrupted you," she told him playfully.

"Yes, before that."

"What were you going to say?"

She smirked when she caught the hint of a smile on Andros' face, "We'll now I'm not sure you deserve it."

"I deserve it," she told him, "If it was something nice."

Andros' shoulders shook slightly with his laughter, "I'm glad you're back in my life, even though you're being ridiculous right now."

"I'm not ridiculous, you're the one that's suppose to be sleeping," she taunted.

He closed his eyes with a hint of a smile on his lips, "You can have the soup."

"Good," she told him, "It smells good and I can always get Cassie to make more."

"Ashley made it," Andros told her.

"She did?"

"Cassie's likes to say it, but Ashley likes to make it."

"Actually Cassie and Carlos made it," she told him.

"And you actually want to eat it?" he questioned.

"It smells good and beside I already made Zhane eat the first bowl. If he hasn't keeled over by the time you fall asleep I'll know it's safe."

"Using my best friend to test for food poisoning?" he questioned.

"Yep," she teased.

Andros nodded, yawned again and closed his eyes. She brushed the hair off his face, wrapped her arms around him and waited for his breathing to even out into deep breaths before she got up and ate his soup.