The Pregnancy
By: Andalite Girl
Authors note: I would like to dedicate this to my hometown The Point, without whom I would have never gotten the inspiration for this story,
Chapter 1
I played with my engagement ring on my finger. Almost a year since Jake and I got married. I smiled a little remembering that day. It was one of the few days where everything was perfect. No worries, no memories of the fear and death that came with being an Animorph.
Perfect.
The phone rang making my jump out of my seat. Calm down Cassie. I ordered myself. I picked up the phone with a still shaky hand.
" Hello?"
" Cassie?" Rachel's voice said. Relive flooded through me. For a second I thought something had gone terribly wrong. A silly paranoia from long times past.
" What's up?" I asked.
" Cassie," Rachel's voice filled with excitement. " I'm pregnant!"
It took like a minute for my brain to comprehend. " Congratulations! Oh my God, you and Tobias must be so happy!"
" We are," She assured me, but something was different. Now there was a slight edge to her tone. " We are," She repeated.
" Hey, why don't you two come on up?" I asked. " Then we could really celebrate. I could get Jake to open his special bottle of wine… oops, well maybe not with a baby on the way. But we could still celebrate."
She laughed, the edge to her voice was gone like it had never been there. "Give us an hour to get there…. Cass, I haven't been this happy since… we won." Then she hung up the phone.
I quickly dialed the number for Jake's pager. He would be at work with some of his patients. His work as a doctor was stressful but this news would do him a lot of good.
Healer, heal thy self first.
I thought.I left a simple message: RACHEL PREG.
I was a little more then shocked when, 15 minutes later Jake's SUV came roaring around the street corner and braked into our driveway with a load SCREECH. Jake ran into the house full speed, his face sweaty and pale.
" Is it true?" He demanded gripping my shoulders fiercely. His fingernails were digging into my flesh.
"Ow!" I complained trying to twist free.
" IS IT TRUE?!"
" Yes of coarse!" I was getting just a little freaked out now. Jake had never hurt me. Never. " What's wrong with you?" I had also never seen that terrified look in his eyes before.
" Nothing, nothing." He said visibly relaxing his face. He let go of my shoulders with a little shake. " It was just a shock… she and Tobias aren't even married yet!"
I laughed a little trying to relieve the cold dread that was sitting on my chest like a heavy stone.
Jake glared at me. " I don't see anything funny about this."
" Look at you." I said gently. " All worried about your cousin. She's going to be fine Jake, just fine. After all Jordan has had four kids with out any problems."
" Yeah I guess so," he admitted.
I changed the subject with a gesture, " This house is filthy! Come on, you have to help me clean it. Rachel and Tobias will be here soon and knowing Tobias he will have called Marco and Ax over too."
Jake groaned and complained like he usually did at the thought of housework, but something was wrong. He wasn't telling me something important.
Chapter 2
DING-DONG
" Their here!" I cried running to the door and throwing it open. I gave Rachel quick embrace and Tobias a peck on the cheek. " I'm so glad to see you two." I said excitedly.
I ushered them inside and told them to sit. At that moment Jake walked in from the kitchen carrying a plate of tortilla chips and a bowl of guacamole. " Want anything to eat?"
" No," Tobias said.
" Yes," Rachel said shooting a look at Tobias.
" Yes," Tobias agreed reluctantly.
I caught it then, the tension between Tobias and Rachel. It was so thick I could have scooped it up with a chip. I looked from one to the other. " What-"
DING-DONG
The front door opened to reveal Marco and Ax. Ax basically looked the same as I remembered him since his DNA for his human morph had not aged a day when he first acquired Rachel, Jake, Marco and I.
Marco… Well he had changed. First of all he had grown a few inches and second of all he had grown a goatee. He kinda looked like Zorro from The Mask Of Zorro.
From the second they stepped into the house they were the life of the party. It was like Marco and Ax had instinctively known that we all needed a good laugh.
Soon, however, they had eaten all of the guacamole and had offered to make some more. " There are some ingredients in the kitchen," I said.
Tobias suddenly touched my arm. " I need to speak to you for a second. In private." He whispered.
I glanced over at Jake but he wasn't paying any attention to me. I nodded and led Tobias to the bedroom on the other side of the house. " Ok, what's going on?" I demanded once I shut the door. " You don't want to keep the baby?"
Tobias barked out a laugh. " The kid is not mine."
" Don't give me that." I snapped. " That's some excuse guys give when-"
" Rachel and I did not have sex in the time that she got pregnant."
I stared at him for a few seconds, " Tobias," I said calmly. " Rachel is not a hoe and she would never do that to you."
" She is and she did." He replied his voice cracked on the next sentence. " I know who it was too."
" Who?"
Tobias looked down at the rug trying to hide the fresh pain on his face. " Go out and see. I'm sure that they wouldn't waste this opportunity to be together."
Who could it be? Marco? Ax? Curiosity overwhelmed my common sense. I left the bedroom and crept down the darkened hallway. I could hear muffled voices close by. Finally I reached the end of the hallway and I oh-so-carefully peaked around the corner.
Rachel was there, facing someone. I could not see who it was and if I dared to look then I would be seen. One of the person's hands was on Rachel's stomach, the other was lightly brushing back her hair from her face.
It wasn't Marco. I could be sure of that. Rachel seemed to be looking up into the person's eyes. Ax? She had fallen for Ax? My brain froze up as the person lightly kissed Rachel on the lips. He had leaned right in my line of vision.
I fell backward on my butt, got up and stumbled into the bedroom. " Jake!" I gasped before fainting in Tobias's arms.
Chapter 3
Somone was shaking me. " Come on Cass, snap out of it."
I opened my eyes to face Tobias's intense gaze. " How could he?" I whispered. " Rachel is his cousin."
Tobias shook he head. " I don't know… Damn it!" He pounded the floor with a fist. " I gave up my wings for her!" He looked into my eyes, " Maybe you and Jake can work things out but Rachel and I…" Tobias shook his head. " Marco and Ax already know, in fact they are probably distracting them right now. You were only out a few moments so you can go back with out suspicion. I am leaving."
I thought for a second. My sex ed. teacher once told my class that when you sleep with a guy you sleep with also sleep with the people that guy slept with and the people they slept with and so on.
I shuttered. " Take me with you."
" Are you sure?"
I bit my lip and nodded. If Jake and Rachel were happy together then so be it. I got up and grabbed the keys from my dresser. " Let's go."
Tobias and I went out through the back door, got into my car and drove away with out ever looking back.
*******
Epilogue
5 years later.
" Do you Cassie____ take this man to be your husband in sickness and in health. Till death do you part?"
" I do."
My husband repeated the vows.
The preacher looked at my new husband. " Then you may kiss the bride."
We kissed and my friends and family cheered. When we parted I looked into his icy blue eyes. " I love you Tobias."
Questions? Comments? Death threats? Well e-mail 'em to me!
Ax Rules
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