Authors notes: This story is rated PG13 because of some language and violence so please don't read if you don't think you should.
Summary: When Rachel is stalked and kidnapped Tobias may have to break all the rules to save her.
CROSSING THE LINE
PART ONE (OBSESSION)
I have been in love with Rachel from the very first time that I saw her. It was the first day of high school and I had been at my locker trying to get the combination lock to work. I had given up and was turning around when I saw her walking down the hall with another girl. I felt my breath catch and my heart started to because she was so beautiful. She continued to walk my way and as she passed me she smiled a little smile and I knew at that moment that she had to be mine no matter what I had to do. I have waited two years for her and I don't even think that she knew that I was even alive but I would change that. Rachel would love me because I would make her see that we belonged together.
Rachel
My name is Rachel. I am tall, blonde and to look at me you would think that I was a model but I am an Animorph instead. I know that you are wondering exactly what an Animorph is so I will tell you. An Animorph is someone who can morph into any animal they touch by acquiring its DNA pattern and then concentrating on becoming that animal. I am not the only Animorph on Earth though because my five friends are Animorphs too. We are the only people stopping the complete takeover of Earth by the Yeerks. Two years ago that name would have meant nothing to me but a lot can change in two years. It had all started when by friends Cassie, Marco, Tobias and my cousin Jake decided to take a shortcut through an abandoned construction site on our way home from the mall. I know that earlier I said my five friends but we did not know the last member of our little group yet. Ax is the only free Andalite on Earth. His brother Elfangor had died after he gave us the morphing power. We saw Elfangor's ship crash in that construction site. He was critically wounded from the crash but he was able to warn us about the Yeerks. He told us that the Yeerks were parasitic creatures that crawl in your ear and take control over your body. The people who had Yeerks in their heads were called controllers. Over the past two years we had learned the identity of a few controllers but we knew that there were a lot more that we didn't know about. My cousin Tom was one, our school principal another, and Marco's mother had been the most powerful one of all. Elfangor knew that without anyone to fight the Yeerks they would take over earth completely so he gave us the morphing power. At first none of us wanted to believe that it had all really happened because it was all too crazy but when we morphed the first time we knew that we had to fight the Yeerks because no one else would be able to. Our first mission was to go down to the Yeerk pool and try to save my cousin Tom. The Yeerk pool was the place where every three days the Yeerks come to soak up Kandrona rays which were like the rays of their native sun. The mission went badly for us and Tobias broke the only rule of morphing. You see a person could never spend more than two hours in any morph because you would be forever trapped in that body. Tobias was held up at the Yeerk pool and stayed as a hawk too long so that was the body he was trapped in. At first he could only be a hawk but a powerful alien named the Ellimist gave him his morphing power back and he could even morph into his old body. There was only one catch to it though. If he stayed in his body for more than two hours he would be trapped in that body never able to morph again. Even though he was able to become human I think that Tobias preferred being a hawk. He was going to be here in a few minutes and we were going to go flying together. He wanted to show me someplace he found while flying. I heard the rustling of feathers as Tobias flew through my window and landed on my desk.
Rachel are you ready to go
"Yeah. All I have to do is morph."
Okay
If you have never turned into another animal before and I am sure that you haven't let me tell you that it is pretty weird. I started to morph and I could feel my body shrinking as the floor of my room came up at me. Feather patterns started to appear on my skin while at the same time I felt my face bulge outward. A long beak appeared where my human nose had been just a minute ago. I could see my arms turning into wings and my feet turning into the feet of a bird. The last human feature to go was my eyes but the sharp eyes of the bird I had acquired soon replaced them.
Ready
Let's go
We flew out the window and into the afternoon sky towards the place that Tobias wanted me to see. Flying is total freedom because it is just you and nothing else around you except the clouds and the sky. I loved flying but I liked flying with Tobias even more. We flew in silence but it was one of those comfortable silences. We flew over the school and past the city toward the mountains. Once we got to the mountains it was a short distance to the place Tobias had discovered. From the air it looked like a clearing with a small stream and some purple flowers but as we landed and I demorphed to human and Tobias morphed to human I could plainly see that I was wrong. The stream turned out to be a small lake and the flowers turned out to be a field of wildflowers that seemed to go on forever.
"It's beautiful Tobias."
"I knew when I saw it that I had to bring you here."
"Why did you bring me here Tobias?"
"To do this."
He leaned his head forward until his lips were lightly touching mine. I deepened the kiss by plunging my tongue into his mouth and we both moaned at the sensation it caused. We kissed our tongues delving into each other's mouths until breathless we pulled away.
"I'm sorry Rachel."
"I'm not."
"You're not?"
"No. I love you Tobias and I have been waiting two years for you to do that."
Our mouths came together again and I could feel his hands slide down to my waist and I pressed my self closer wanting to feel his body against mine.
"We should stop Rachel."
"I don't want to stop Tobias."
I won't go into detail about what happened that day in the meadow but Tobias and I made love and it was like our souls were one. It was the first time since the war had begun that I felt like I was truly alive. Afterwards we didn't speak for a while but then Tobias stood up and began to walk away from me. I followed him and tried to put my arms around him but he pushed me away.
"I am sorry Rachel but that should have never happened."
"Why?"
"You're human Rachel and I am a freak of nature."
"No! You are not a freak of nature and I don't ever want you to say that ever again. I love you Tobias. I have since the first time we met and I won't ever be sorry about what happened between us."
He looked at me for a moment and then he gathered me close and pressed his forehead against mine.
"God. I love you so much Rachel."
"I know you do Tobias."
He kissed me again but it was a gentle kiss so unlike the ones we had shared earlier.
"I need to demorph now."
I nodded and watched him as he morphed back into his true form. He stood like that for a minute and I wondered if he was going to stay as a hawk but he started to morph back to human again and I relaxed. When he finished he kissed me again and we fell back on the grass together and made love again. We just lay on the grass after that until Tobias got up and said that we had to leave because it was getting dark. I was reluctant to leave because I knew that as soon as I was home that Tobias was going to tell me that it could never happen again. I morphed back into a bird and we flew back to my house in silence. I made sure that nobody was in my room before I became human again.
You know that we can't let that happen again
"I know"
I love you Rachel
"I love you too."
Tobias left and I went downstairs for dinner and then got ready for bed. I thought about what had happened and then I fell asleep not knowing that my life was about to become a nightmare.
PART TWO (THE STALKING)
It was sixth months later and Tobias and I kept our word. We had never gone back to that meadow or at least not together. I had flown there and just stood remembering what it had been like. I am sure that Tobias had gone back too from time to time. Our relationship had forever changed since that day. At school and at the meetings we pretended like we always did that nothing was going on between us but nighttime was different. Tobias would fly into my room at night and morph to human and then we would kiss and lay on the bed together holding each other close. It never went farther than that though. I wanted to make love again but Tobias said that it would be better if we didn't. The logical part of me agreed with him but the other part of me that loved Tobias wanted to be close like that again. I went to asleep thinking about Tobias as I always did.
Finally I thought as the last bell for the day rang. I quickly got up out of my seat and headed towards my locker. I got there in record time and shoved my books in and got out the ones I needed for later. As I was closing the door I noticed the paper sticking out from the top shelf. I opened it expecting a note from Cassie or Jake but it wasn't. It was a note written on a typewriter and it had one line.
I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU RACHEL
I crumpled it up and threw it into a trashcan thinking it was a joke and then I headed home. I got to my house and went to my room where I did some homework and then ate dinner with my mom and two sisters. After dinner I went back to my room and laid down on my bed and read some. Then I turned off my light and waited for Tobias to come. I must have fell asleep because the next thing I remember is being awakened by Tobias kissing me. I opened my eyes and kissed him back pulling on top of me. We kissed until we had to pull away from each other to get air. He rolled over onto his side taking me with him.
"I missed you so much Rachel."
"We saw each other last night."
"I know but every moment away from you is like an eternity."
"I know because I feel the same way."
We just lay there together until I fell asleep again. When I woke in the morning he was gone like he had never been there. I sighed and got ready for school.
Another boring day of school I thought as I headed for my locker. I got there and noticed that there was another note in my locker. I opened it and looked at the words that were written there. The words SOON RACHEL stared up at me.
I tossed it in the trashcan and thought nothing more about it as I headed for my first class. The day went by slowly and then it was time to go home. I headed for my locker and there was another note. This one had the words I KNOW WHAT YOUR SECRET IS RACHEL. I started to throw it away but for some reason I kept it. When Tobias came over later that night I told him about the notes.
"We should tell the others about this Rachel."
"No I don't want anybody else to know about this Tobias."
"Rachel."
"I want to handle this by myself Tobias."
He agreed although reluctantly and then looked at me like I had made the biggest mistake of my life, which I had although I didn't realize it yet. Over the next couple of weeks the notes kept appearing in my locker. I became really worried because the messages kept getting darker and darker. The new messages were things like I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU WILL BE MINE, and I AM WATCHING YOU RACHEL but what was most disturbing was that they had pictures with them now. There were pictures of me walking home from school, in my room, and at the mall.
The person who had written the notes and sent the pictures knew everything about me. I was really worried but I couldn't let Tobias know because he would tell the others and I really didn't want him to do that. I was supposed to be the fearless one. I had fought aliens without being scared and I couldn't let the others know that some normal but totally insane person scared the hell out of me. I pretended that everything was okay but it wasn't. I started to screw up on missions and everybody kept asking me if anything was wrong. I would say no and plead with Tobias every night not to say anything. He understood that I didn't want the others to know that I was scared. He knew that I associated being scared with being weak and I didn't want the others to think that I was weak. I became more cautious trying to change the way I came home from school and the mall but the pictures kept coming and I knew that whoever it was still followed me. I began to get phone calls at home. A voice would whisper the same sort of messages that were in the notes. I could tell that voice was the voice of a guy but I couldn't tell exactly who it was. I started to dread going to school because of the notes and the feeling that someone was watching me. I decided to skip school one Tuesday afternoon to go to the mall. I shopped around but I didn't buy anything because I couldn't walk home and get there at my usual time with shopping bags because my sisters would know that I had been shopping and not at school. I was walking home and when I was passing an alley someone grabbed my arm and pushed me inside. I caught a brief glimpse of a boy about my own age before I felt a sharp pain against my jaw and then there was nothing.
PART THREE (THE SEARCH)
I awoke god only knows how much later to find my self tied to a chair with thick ropes. I looked around and it looked like I was in an abandoned warehouse. I heard footsteps and looked around quickly trying to find out where they were coming from. I felt the guy approach me from behind and I tried to turn my head to see him but I couldn't turn it around that far.
"Hello Rachel."
"Who are you?"
"I am going to let you guess who I am by my voice."
"I can't tell who you are by your voice."
"Then I guess you will have to wait and find out who I am."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Why?"
"Yes."
"It's very simple Rachel. I am doing this because I love you."
"No. Oh god no." I screamed loudly
"Scream all you want. There is no one around to hear you."
I screamed and screamed but soon stopped when I felt the knife at my throat.
"I don't want to have to hurt you but I will if you don't cooperate with me."
"I hate you."
"I know but soon you will love me."
I sobbed and he tried to put his hand on my face but I bit him.
"You shouldn't have done that Rachel."
"Go to hell."
"Shut up."
"No. I will not shut up and you can't tell me what I can and can't do." I screamed loudly. He slapped me hard across the face and left. I sobbed quietly until exhausted I fell asleep and that was the end of my first day of hell.
I awoke again to find sunlight coming in from the dirty windows of the warehouse high above me. I screamed until I heard footsteps coming from behind me again.
"Don't scream Rachel."
"Why? I thought that you said that no one could hear me."
"They can't. I just don't like it because it bothers me."
"Then I will make sure to do it often."
"Don't screw with me Rachel."
He turned away and started to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"To school Rachel. I can't have anyone putting two and two together."
"What do you mean?"
"They are going to notice that you are not there and I don't want to miss school and have them think that we are together."
"Oh."
"Yes Rachel. I am not dumb. I will be back in a few hours to give you lunch."
He turned and I heard his footsteps fading away and a door banged and I knew that he was gone. I thought about what he had said about people noticing that I was missing. I knew that Tobias was one of the first people after my sisters that would have noticed that I was missing. I wondered if he would tell the others what was going on. I started to cry thinking that I might not ever see Tobias or anyone else ever again. I could morph into an animal and get away because my captor would come and find me gone and wonder how I had escaped. I couldn't let him think that I was anything but a normal girl. True to his word he came back at lunch with McDonald's food. He did not untie the ropes but fed me himself inadvertently showing me his face.
"Do you recognize me Rachel?"
"I looked at him for a long time but I did not recognize him and I was afraid to tell him that because of the way he might react.
"No." I told him at last.
"I am shocked Rachel because I have known who you are for over two years."
"You have been planning this for that long?"
"No. I was hoping that you would come to me willingly but you never did so I had to take mattes into my own hands."
"You're insane!"
"No Rachel. I am in love with you."
Tobias
Rachel was nowhere to be found. I had been searching for two days but wasn't able to find her. Jake kept asking me if I knew where she was and what had happened to her because it wasn't like her to just disappear. I knew that I had made a promise to Rachel but I had to tell Jake. I told him about the notes, the pictures and the phone calls and when I finished Jake just looked at me with the most furious expression I had ever seen on his face.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?"
Rachel made me promise not to
"Tobias you know as well as I do that if anyone of us has a problem the others try to help them."
I know
"Okay. We have to decide exactly what we are going to do about this situation. I think that she must have been taken and whoever it is that is holding her has her hidden somewhere."
I think that I should fly over the city again and see if I can hear or see her
"If you find her don't try to rescue her alone."
You know that I can't promise you that Jake but I will try
"I know that you care about her Tobias. We all do."
Yeah
I left and searched for her but I did not find her. I was not about to give up though. I would find her even if I had to look for her forever.
Rachel
The days were all the same and I thought that I would go insane if I didn't get out of there. I would cry myself to sleep every night and wake up in the morning to find out he was there. He would stay for a few minutes then leave again for school. He would return at lunchtime with my food. He then fed me and leave again for the rest of the school day and return with more food. He stayed until it was almost dark and leave to go home. I lost track of how many days I had been there and I cursed my friends for not finding me and letting me go so I could leave this place. The only thing I was glad of was the fact that my kidnapper had never tried to kiss me or touch me except to feed me since that first day when I had bit him. I felt like killing him but I remembered the knife at my throat and I knew that I couldn't without being killed. I would live through this nightmare I promised myself.
Tobias
I had been flying over the city for days looking for Rachel but I did not see or hear her. I had noticed something interesting though. I had noticed a boy going into an abandoned warehouse with a bag of food and then leave the building without it. I wondered exactly what he was doing and I decided to take a closer look and that is when I saw her. The bastard had my Rachel tied up like an animal. I knew that I had to save her but I had promised Jake I wouldn't go in alone and I was going to try and keep that promise. I went to find Jake and the others to tell them where she was. I found Jake a few minutes later at Cassie's barn and told him where she was.
"Okay. We go in tonight at 10:00 and not before."
I will try Jake
"Okay."
I left and flew to check on Rachel and that is when I had to break that promise.
PART FOUR (CROSSING THE LINE)
I heard footsteps and he walked into the room with my dinner.
"Dinner time Rachel."
"Is it McDonalds or Burger King this time?" I asked sarcastically.
"Actually it's Wendys." He replied missing my sarcastic tone. He approached me and gave me my dinner and when he finished he just stood there and stared at me.
"What?"
"You are so beautiful Rachel."
I felt a sinking feeling because I knew what he would do next. I cringed as he came closer and tried to kiss me. I felt his vile lips touch mine and I bit him because it was the only thing I could do. He slapped me repeatedly until at last he felt that I had been punished enough.
"Bitch"
"What did you call me?" I asked in a low but angry voice.
"I called you a bitch Rachel because that is what you are. I should kill you for what you have done but I have other things in mind."
He started to take off his clothes and I knew then that he was going to rape me and I screamed.
TOBIAS
I had just approached the building when I heard Rachel scream. I knew that other people with their primitive hearing could not hear her but I could because of the hawk's sharp hearing. I landed and morphed to human because there we no open windows and the door was closed so I could not go in as a bird. I opened the door as quietly as I could and saw the creep undressing and coming towards Rachel. I knew that he was going to attack her and with a cry I ran for him. He turned around and saw me and drew a gun from his pocket. I stopped in mid run and for several minutes we just stared at each other.
"Who the hell are you?"
I didn't answer him so he turned back towards Rachel and that's when I made my move. I rushed and realizing what an idiot he had been he turned around but it was too late. I grabbed the gun and hit him across the head with it. I stared at him and then at Rachel who was crying and cowering in the chair. I knew then that I had to make him pay. I cocked the gun and aimed it at his head.
"Tobias! What are you doing?" Rachel shouted.
"I have to do this. He has to pay for what he has done to you."
"He will Tobias because I will see to it."
I didn't listen to her though because rage was burning through me like a drug and slowly I knelt and pressed the muzzle of the gun to his temple and fired.
"Tobias! No!" Rachel screamed but it was to late because there was already a pool of blood spreading across the floor.
"What have you done Tobias?" Rachel whispered.
"I did it for you Rachel. Don't you understand that everything I do is for you?"
"But it wasn't right. He wasn't just a controller or any other alien but a very disturbed person."
"Does being an alien justify being killed Rachel?" I asked
"No, but it stops me from going insane because of what we do."
"He had to die Rachel because like the Yeerks he would have taken your body and controlled your mind.
"Maybe but we will never find out will we?"
"We have to make it look like he killed himself and you have to tell the others that when they come."
"They know what happened to me?"
"Yeah. Jake would have killed me if I hadn't told him what had happened."
"I bet he would have."
"So are you with me Rachel?" I asked her almost afraid of her answer.
"Yes. I am with you Tobias."
I watched mutely as Tobias wiped off the gun with the hem of his T-shirt and pressed my captor's fingers against it and placed it in his left hand and closed his fingers around it. After he had finished he untied me and we walked out of the warehouse and met the others in morph. They all demorphed as soon as they saw us. Jake was the first one to speak and he did not look happy at all.
"Damn it Tobias. I told you to wait for us."
"I couldn't wait Jake. He was going to rape Rachel."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"What happened in that warehouse Tobias?"
"He killed himself."
"Are you sure that's what really happened?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I know how much you care for Rachel. I think that you might even love her enough to kill anybody that hurts her."
"He shot himself."
I could tell that he didn't believe me so he asked Rachel what happened. I tensed up but Rachel told Jake that what I had said was true. Jake still didn't look like he believed me but he let it go. We went back to Rachel's house where her mother called the police. When they questioned us Rachel and I told them that he had killed himself and they left soon after that. Every one else left a few minutes later but I stayed behind to whisper to Rachel that I would come to her later. I waited until I was sure that her mom and sisters had gone to bed and then I flew into her room. We held each other tight and then she did something I never wanted to see her do again. She cried and cried until I thought my soul would break and I did the only thing I could think of to console her. I kissed her and it was a kiss meant to comfort her but I knew that it would lead to so much more and there on her bed we made love for the first time since the meadow and it was just the two of us. We were two souls in a tormented world trying to comfort each other the only way we knew how.
EPILOUGE
The police ruled Rachel's kidnapper death a suicide and slowly Rachel returned to normal. For months she kept having nightmares and I comforted her each night until the dreams became less and less frequent. Jake repeatedly asked what had really happened but I stuck to Rachel's and I story and without proof he let it go eventually for good. Thinking back I had always loved Rachel but I didn't know how much until that day in the warehouse where I killed her captor out of revenge. Obsession and revenge are like the same thing. They both tear you up inside until it is the only thing you can think of. I had crossed the line and there was no turning back for me.
THE END
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