Hey, good news to those of you who might have found my previous stuff ind of dark and depressing (what, with the nihilistic Tobias in 55 and the dead Animorphs in 57 and 58): this is all pretty light-hearted. Dont' worry, stuff will go down soon. Until then, just relax and enjoy a little spot of sunshing :D

And yes, this is really me.

Chapter 6

Despite all our efforts, we did fall asleep. I was jolted awake by the Ferris wheel starting up. Tobias, somehow, was still asleep. I elbowed him. "Uh…what?" he groaned.

"We have to get out of here," I hissed.

He gave me an odd smile. It kind of reminded me of me. "Or maybe we should just let them find us here."

I threw his shirt at him. "I'm supposed to be dead, remember? This is not the way I want the world to know that I'm back."

He shrugged and began to morph. ((It's your life.)) Soon, we were a red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle riding high in the sky.

((So, we're going to Marco's?)) I asked.

((Yep. We need to figure some stuff out now. And I need to eat; I'm starving.))

((Me too.))

We flew in through an open window on the top floor of Marco's mansion. We ended up flying right past him as he was walking out of his bedroom. He was wearing a purple, silk robe. I guess he did stuff like that when no one was around.

"Hey! Watch it! Haven't you two heard of a little thing called a door?"

We demorphed. Tobias was done first. "Sorry. We figured, with the people probably watching this place, it would be best not to demorph in plain sight."

"Plus," I started to say. I cut off because Marco had the strangest look on his face. His eyes darted from Tobias to me and back again. Then, he dropped to his knees and started bowing in front of Tobias in some kind of parody of worship.

"You are my god!" he chanted.

I glared at Tobias. "What did you tell him?"

He just stared back at me. "Nothing. I can't thought speak as a human any more than you can."

"Not thought speak, guy speak."

"Say what now?"

It was hard to explain. I've noticed that guys have a way of communicating without saying or doing anything. Even the most clueless guy (like Marco) somehow understands it.

Rather than explain, I punched Tobias in the arm. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid when I asked him not to say anything about last night.

Tobias was spared from any further abuse when we heard the WOOSH of the dropshaft. Jeanne and Alloran walked out. "Ah," Jeanne said, "I thought I saw two birds fly in. Marco, what are you doing? Never mind, I don't want to know. Stop it. Now."

Marco snapped to attention. Then, Jeanne added, "And close your robe." She turned to Tobias and me. "Alloran and I have made breakfast, if you are hungry."

((Should we not wait for Cassie?)) Alloran asked.

I pushed past him on my way to the dropshaft. "She won't mind. I'm starving. Let's go."

"Worked up quite an appetite last night, eh Xena?" Marco asked. Then, he slapped Tobias on the back, beaming like a father whose kid just hit his first home run. I'd never understand guys. Even the good ones, like Tobias, were as bad as the rest about some things.

Jeanne swatted his arm which, to my surprise, actually shut Marco up. I decided right then that I liked my new sister. Then, we all headed downstairs for breakfast. Alloran went outside to graze.

We ate in kind of awkward silence. Marco wanted to make jokes but Jeanne stopped him, so he didn't have much to say. Jeanne and I weren't very comfortable with each other. I mean, suddenly I had another sister and she…well, suddenly she was the sister of Rachel the Animorph. It's a lot to take in. As for Tobias, he never said much.

Cassie arrived and that made things a little better. She and I had a lot to say to each other this morning, and she had a way of including Jeanne that didn't make any of us feel awkward. Of course, since I couldn't resist torturing Cassie a bit, I always steered the conversation back to the same thing. "Tell me more about Ronnie."

I love Cassie, I really do. She's more my sister than Jeanne; as much a part of my family as my own sisters and mother. She and I had been through hell together. But Cassie was still adorably shy about some things. That hadn't changed. Some things never do.

That's why I wasn't surprised when, as Alloran walked in, Tobias stood up and said, "Alright, gang. Now that we've all eaten, it's time for business."

Chapter 7

Marco, of course, couldn't let that go. "Business? Can't we eat a little more first? We haven't even feed the Andalite!"

((The Andalite, as you call him, has already fed, Marco,)) Alloran answered him.

Marco shook his head. "Not human food. We can't start talking about suicidal plans until our resident Andalite goes nuts over cinnamon buns or chocolate or lighter fluid."

Jeanne raised an eyebrow. "Lighter fluid?"

Tobias rolled his eyes. "I left the boy alone for five minutes and we almost had to call poison control. For a member of a hyper advanced alien race, Ax sure had some common sense issues."

"It must come form being male," I said. At the same time, Jeanne said roughly the same thing. We looked at each other and smiled. Oh yeah, I definitely liked my new sister.

"Yeah, if he was a girl, he would have gone off about boys," Marco answered. Then, he launched into a parody of my voice. A bad parody. "Oh, Cassie tell me about Ronnie! Is he big and strong like Tobias? Or is he—"

"—Short and annoying like Marco," I finished.

((I fear I am missing the point of this particular bit of conversation,)) Alloran mumbled.

Tobias laughed, something that I think he hadn't done in years. "The Andalite missed the point. Happy now, Marco?"

"Yes, now I'm happy. Now we can get to talking about suicide missions."

Tobias straightened up. "Well, that's the first order of business. No more suicide missions."

"Does that mean we're quitting the whole fight?" Marco, of course.

Tobias shook his head. "I mean no more missions like the one Santorelli and I went on. No more like the one Rachel went on. No more like the one I sent Jake on. That stops today. We can't lose any more Animorphs if we can help it. That brings me to my second point. We need to elect a leader."

((Prince Tobias? I believe you are our leader.))

He shook his head. "No. Not unless you all say it."

"Jake chose you," Cassie pointed out.

"I know. So that's one vote from Jake. What about the rest of you? Jake may have been our leader, but he always asked for our advice on important matters. When things came down to the really tough decisions, we always voted when we had the time. So now we vote. What do the rest of you say?"

((You are my prince, Prince Tobias. No matter who leads the Animorphs, you are my prince,)) Alloran answered. ((I follow you and you alone.))

"So that's two votes for Tobias," Marco tallied. "Jake and Alloran are in favor of it. Ladies?" He looked form me to Jeanne to Cassie.

Jeanne shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know Tobias as well as the rest of you. I can't make this choice. I will follow whoever the rest of you choose. We could do far worse than Tobias."

"Two for Tobias and one vote of abstinence from Jeanne," Marco counted. "Cassie? Rachel?"

I shook my head. "I tried doing the leader thing. It didn't go well for me. I didn't have the balance a leader needs. I was too reckless just like Marco would be too careful." Marco winced but knew I was right. I continued.

"Ax was too ruthless and Cassie was too compassionate. Only Jake and Tobias had the necessary balance, I think. Only the two of them could balance boldness with caution and morality with the ruthless reality of war. I'd follow either of them to hell and back. I already followed Jake. Now, I'll follow Tobias anywhere."

Marco turned to Cassie. "Well…" she hesitated. "Honestly, I don't know. Tobias, you used to be a sweet, gentle person. But the war changed you in ways the rest of us can't even imagine. I don't know if that kindness and gentleness are still in you or not. I can't say I know what you've been through and I can't say that I know who you are anymore.

"But Jake trusted you. He said that you could lead us and I trust Jake. If he voted for you, then I will, too. Maybe he knew something I didn't about you or maybe not. But if he chose you, then I will too."

Marco nodded. "That's how I feel. Tobias, you and I have never been close, not even after all of this. I don't know you like I know the others. But Jake knew you, I think, and he said you could win this thing and in the end, that's all that matters. If any of us has the…the ruthless hate it takes to pull this off, it's got to be you."

Tobias looked at Jeanne. "Jeanne, I won't take this without a unanimous vote. I know you're new and don't feel like you have as much to offer, but you're here for a reason. You aren't like the rest of us, a haphazard collection of kids who took a shortcut home. You were chosen by the best to be one of us. Your thoughts are just as important as everyone else's."

Cassie shot him an approving look that I don't think anyone else saw. Jeanne sat up straighter. "Well, then I will follow you, Tobias. I have seen what you are willing to do for this war, what you are willing to risk; what you are willing to sacrifice. I will follow you to the end."

"Unanimous, then," Tobias said. "Then it's time to get down to our next order of business."

"What's that?" Marco asked. Then, he added, "Prince Tobias."

"Your favorite part. Suicidal plans."

"Oh, goody."

((Yes, goody.))

Chapter 8

"Well," Tobias began, "thanks to Jeanne and Santorelli, we figured out where the Yeerks are invading now. We couldn't move in on it earlier but now we have to jump on this. They already have too much of a head start.

"This new town is called…" Sorry, but I'm not going to tell you what it's called. Or where it is. My reasons will make sense soon.

Tobias continued. "We have a few problems. The first is that we don't have anywhere to live there."

"I can take care of that," Marco answered.

Tobias shrugged. "That might leave a trail. It is vital that no one know we're there."

"Why not?" Cassie asked.

"Because if all the Animorphs suddenly pack up and move into the same town and suspicious things start happening, people will figure it out. If this war gets out, then The One gets to use all of his power and things hit the fan. We need to keep our identities hidden."

"How do we do that?" I asked.

"No one will recognize Jeanne, Alloran, or me," Tobias answered. "Cassie, you can be hidden with some minor cosmetic changes. The same thing with Rachel, since no one who sees her will think it's her. Maybe if we cut her hair…"

I glared at him. He replied with a small grin. He knew I loved having my hair long. "Marco will be the biggest problem, since he's by far the most visible. I'm thinking haircut, contacts, and maybe some minor surgery."

Marco shook his head. "If I get plastic surgery, everyone in the world will know. I'm a celebrity, dude. The tabloids will have a field day. And do you really think any of this will stop Ax from recognizing us?"

"It isn't Ax or Esplin I'm trying to fool. He'll know it's us; we'll be in his face all the time. But he won't do anything openly; that would make the war public and I'm sure the One gave him orders against that. Minor changes will probably be enough to fool everyone who doesn't know us too well; no one's walking around looking for Animorphs, after all."

"He has a point," Jeanne agreed.

Marco had something to add. "What happens when Cassie and I disappear off the face of the earth? And how does Rachel explain suddenly leaving to her mom and sisters? Or what about Jeanne; why would she live right after meeting her father? It'll be suspicious if we all just disappear at the same time and reappear together. People will know."

Tobias nodded. "Alloran and I have been working on that. As much as I hate the thought, we might have to use the Chee."

I shuddered. "I don't like the thought of a Chee living my life for me."

"Neither do I," Tobias agreed. "I figure that Marco and Cassie can probably move away without too much trouble. Cassie can disappear on some government nature thing. As long as she resurfaces every month or so, no one will be too suspicious."

"Except Ronnie," Cassie interrupted. "We always do these things together. Maybe we can tell him?"

"I don't know," Tobias answered. "I don't know how many people we have to tell for The One to consider this thing public."

"He already knows," Cassie insisted. "When you first told me the Yeerks were back, he heard my half of the conversation. I know he figured it out. He hasn't asked me about it at all, which is how I know he knows. He's like that."

"If he already knows…" I prompted Tobias.

"Then we don't exactly have to tell him," he finished. "Cassie, just tell him that you have to go, maybe allude to the first war. I'm sure he'll get the message and know to keep quiet. As for you, Marco…"

"I can't just disappear," he said to Tobias. "Even if I leave town, people will expect to hear about me. I can't just pop up every month or so like Cassie."

"I know. Alloran and I figure that you can go on an extended vacation, maybe out in space somewhere. Alloran can fake the necessary documentation. We'll register you with a private ship and staff. No one will come looking for you."

"Alloran can fake all that?" Marco asked. "Wouldn't he have to hack Tri-I's database to do that? I'm pretty sure they keep track of those things and they have Andalite security over the important stuff."

"He can do it," Tobias promised. "He's something of a prodigy. Tell them, Alloran."

The young Andalite scuffed a hoof almost as though he was embarrassed. ((I have had much experience with computers, especially with Andalite systems. Andalite security measures will not be able to stop me.))

"Alloran, like I told you all, is my half-brother. Our father didn't want anyone to know he had sons; the Yeerks, especially Esplin, would use that as leverage. I was 'safe' here on Earth, but Alloran wasn't."

((My father had a special place constructed for me. My needs and education were seen to by automatons, since it was too dangerous for real Andalites to know where I was. Automatons could not be infested by Yeerks.

((Often, there was not much for me to do, so I began to disassemble and reprogram my caretakers. Once they had taught me everything they could, I changed them from educators to friends. I learned to overcome any computer system known to the Andalites. My automaton friends became just like real Andalites, each with its own personality.))

"Oh my god! He built Chee!" Marco gasped. I did too when I realized he was right. Jeanne and Cassie just stared at the Andalite.

Tobias nodded. "I know. That was why I decided to find him when Jake and I set out to replace Santorelli. Alloran might even be a match for Erek. He's a miracle, really. Esplin now has access to Andalite technology, which would have stopped us cold in the first war. We actually found a way to one up him."

"Okay, so I'm taken care of," Marco said. "What about Jeanne and Rachel?"

We sat in silence for several minutes. We knew it would be suspicious if Jeanne and I just packed up and left so soon. Our family wasn't full of idiots; they'd figure it out.

But we couldn't figure anything out. We couldn't accept having Chee live our lives for us, and we couldn't think of any good reasons why we would suddenly leave. I didn't want to be the one to say it because it might have sounded selfish, so I kept quiet about what I knew we had to do. Finally, it was Cassie who said it. "We'll have to tell the truth."

Chapter 9

Tobias nodded. "I can't think of any other way. We'll have to tell them what's really going on and convince them to keep quiet about it." He looked at me. "And about you."

He was right. Word couldn't get out that I was alive again. It would raise far too many questions and I didn't want to answer people. And it would warn the Yeerks and I wanted to see the look on Esplin's stolen face when he found himself face to face with my grizzly bear.

Jeanne shook her head. "How can I just leave?"

Tobias fixed her with a hard stare. "Jeanne, I know what it's like, believe me. But the time you lost with your father is time you'll never get back, no matter how much time you spend with him now. Staying won't fill the hole inside of you. Believe me, I've tried. It's too late for Jacques to be your father; the most he can ever be is a friend."

"So say you."

"From experience," he answered. "I always thought my mother, Loren, was dead. Then, just before everything hit the fan, we found out she was still alive. I tried to be with her but it was far too late for us. It'll hurt to leave Jacques but not as much as it will hurt if you stay."

"How will it hurt if I stay?"

"One day, you'll wake up and realize that, though you admire and respect him, as much as you enjoy his company, you don't love him. Not as your father, at least. Realizing that, on top of realizing that you quit the war for him, will hurt more than leaving him now ever could."

"How can I tell him that?" she asked.

"I think he'll understand. If he doesn't, then he isn't worth crying over. If he does, then you'll have plenty of time when this is all over."

We sat in awkward silence for a few moments. Tobias prodded us onto business. "Another thing we need to take care of. Jake."

"His family must be worried sick," Cassie said. "He's been gone for a month…"

"And we know he isn't coming back," I finished. I winced at the look on Cassie's face. I wish there had been a way around it, but someone had to say it. "What we need to decide is what to tell his family."

Marco nodded. "We could have a Chee disguised as Jake go to his family—"

"I just can't agree to that," Cassie interrupted.

"I wasn't finished," Marco almost snapped. Of course, no one can snap at Cassie. "We have a Chee disguised as Jake go to his family and tell them that he's going off with me. Then, no one has to worry about why they don't see him anywhere and no fake Jake is living his life. It's the best compromise I can come up with."

"I don't like lying about this," Cassie insisted. "To make them think their son is alive for who knows how long…"

Tobias nodded. "Its despicable, no doubt about it. But I don't think we have a choice. We already agreed that the world can't know he's dead any more than it can know Rachel's alive."

"Uh, general?" I said. Tobias looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "I think this is the time you call for a vote."

He shrugged. "Alright then. Votes. Marco, I assume you're voting yes to this plan."

"Correctamundo."

"Rachel?"

"Yes."

"Jeanne?"

"I see no alternative. Yes."

"Cassie?"

"I…I just have to say no. Sorry, but I still vote for telling the truth."

"Alloran?

((I will do as you command, my Prince.))

"Of course. So it's four yes and one no. Sorry, Cassie, but we do this. I think that takes care of everyone."

"What about Ax?" I asked. "That has to cause some complications, with Esplin walking around in his body. If he shows up in the same town over and over again where suspicious things keep happening, people will figure it out as easily as they will with us there."

Tobias shook his head. "He won't show his face. The Andalites have kept it quiet, but he's a hunted man now. Menderash told them what happened, so the Andalites are looking for him. He'll stay hidden.

"I think we have it all covered. I want to be ready to go as soon as possible, so I suggest you all get to your assignments as soon as you can. Marco, you have to take a Chee to Jake's home and pull off your plan. Cassie, you have to tell Ronnie what's going on. Rachel and Jeanne have to do the same thing. Alloran and I will work on phase two."

"Phase two?" I asked.

"We have to find a place to live. We need new identities. We need a way to get to our destination; it's far too far to fly as birds."

"If you say it, I'll believe it," Marco muttered.

"Well, lets get to it, people. Let's show the Yeerks that no one can keep us down for long."

Chapter 10

Jeanne and I decided to fly to my house. It was weird for two reasons. The first was that this was the only time since we were reunited that I wasn't next to Tobias. The second was that this was the first time I was alone with my new sister.

I wasn't sure what to say to her. I thought about what we had in common: the war. I decided to steer away from that track. I made due with small talk. ((So, Jeanne, where did you grow up?))

I was a bald eagle, flying high on the noontime thermals. A thermal is a pillar of warm air rising up from the ground. They were best at noon, when the sun was right overhead. This was easy flying.

Jeanne, a red-tailed hawk, was below me. My wings were much bigger than hers, so I could soar higher. None of the others could fly this high except for Tobias, and that was only because he had too much practice. As I'm sure you know, he used to be a hawk.

((I grew up in Paris. It was…well, about what you might expect it to be. My father was a successful businessman, so I lived the Paris highlife. It was wonderful. Until my father visited America. He changed here. Now I know it was because he was infested here. At the time, I had no idea.

((When he came home, he was…different. It wasn't anything I could put my finger on, but he had changed. Strange packages started arriving at the house. They were Kandrona generators, it seems, so his Yeerk wouldn't starve.

((One day, I opened one of his packages. I didn't know what it was, but he found me. The next thing I knew, I was on the Yeerk Pool ship. I would have been infested, but then the strangest thing happened.))

((What?))

((Visser One found me. She…it wasn't pity, I know that. I don't know why she chose to do it, but she kept me from being infested. She took me for her own. She trained me.))

((Trained you?))

((As an assassin. She wanted me to destroy her enemies. Esplin, the Council of Thirteen, other Vissers…her list was a long one. She thought that no one would suspect a young, human girl.))

((And you agreed to do her dirty work?)) I asked. I couldn't say I wouldn't have done the same thing. At least I'd be taking down other Yeerks.

((No. She thought she could convince me but I never agreed to do it. With all I knew, she couldn't give me to the Yeerks, so she decided that, when the time was right, she would infest me herself.))

((How did that work out?))

((She only did it once. She wanted to test me against an enemy she thought she could kill.))

((Who?))

((An Andalite named Prince Elfangor. I believe you know of him.)) It was hard to tell with thought-speak, but I think she was being coy.

((Oh yeah, I know him. She thought you could take him out?))

((That is what she thought. By killing Elfangor, she would eliminate a threat to the Yeerks and embarrass Visser Three. But Elfangor was too much for her. We barely escaped alive. Things were different after that.))

((How so?))

((Now that Elfangor knew about me, she got paranoid. Soon, things got so bad that she decided to give up the whole project. She had my memory wiped and sent me back to Earth.))

((Why didn't she just kill you?))

((I don't know. I think that she planned to use me again some day, when it was safe. I remember most of my past now, but my training still eludes me.))

((What was your life like when she let you go?))

((Not good. I couldn't remember anything. I had no family and no past. I lived in orphanages. When the news about the Yeerk invasion became public, I started to remember things. And now that I'm fighting again, I remember some of my training.))

So my new sister was an assassin for the former Visser One. Cool. That was definitely someone I wanted to have on my side. But this conversation was getting deeper than I wanted it to. I decided to change the subject.

((So, Jeanne, any guys in your life??))

((Well…yes and no.))

((What does that mean?))

((It is complicated.))

I laughed. ((Jeanne, I wrote the book on complicated relationships. You know about me and Tobias in the first war?))

((I have read some things about the two of you. I admire you for it, but my situation is a little different. It is far less…unusual.))

((I can deal with that. Come on; dish.))

((There is one whom I believe I have feelings for. But I do not know if he feels the same. I'm not sure if his flirting is serious or if it is just the way he is.))

((That's your problem? Jeez, that's no problem at all. Just ask Cassie if he likes you, she'll know. Who is it, anyway?))

((Marco.))

I stopped flapping. If I hadn't been in a thermal, I would have dropped like a stone. I couldn't believe it. Jeanne, who was almost as beautiful as I was, who was smart and brave and my sister, liked Marco? Marco the shrimp? Marco the guy who always wanted to quit the war and hide at home? Marco, the only guy who actually thought he was funny? It didn't fit in my brain. There was no way.

((Say that again,)) I insisted. ((Tell me I heard you wrong. Tell me you didn't say you liked Marco.))

((What is wrong with Marco?))

((Please tell me you mean a different Marco and not the Marco whose house we're living at.))

((I do not mean a different Marco. Why are you acting this way?)) There was a pause. Then, she added, ((Do you like him too?))

I swear, if I wasn't an eagle, I would have thrown up. ((Oh God, no! I'd sooner date Jake; or maybe even Cassie!))

((Wasn't Jake your cousin?))

((Exactly,)) I muttered. ((Look, Jeanne, do yourself a favor and stay away from Marco.))

((Why?))

((Because…because he's Marco!)) I couldn't explain it any more than she could explain why she liked him. We'd have to have some sort of intervention. This could not stand.

I'd talk to Marco. Long ago, he and I had made a rule about him dating my sisters: he could do it, but if he did, I got to rip his arms off. That rule was meant for Jordan, but it went for Jeanne, too.

All I had to do was remind him of our rule. He knew I'd actually rip his arms off, so he'd back off. Right? That would be the intelligent thing to do. I thought that would do it. But the thing about Marco is that, although he may be smart, he doesn't often do the intelligent thing.

See? Not depressing at al :D