~~~~~~~~~*PART THREE*~~~~~~~~~
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~~~Chapter Fourteen~~~ |*Jake*|
I was walking back to the house in silence. Marco had been acting weird. And what was with the sudden decision to make Fi an Animorph? That was the slightest bit odd.
I walked into the house, finding the lights were off. "What the..." I said softly, narrowing my brow in confusion.
I continued up the stairs. Mom and Dad were out tonight...and Jack was out doing his driving test. Tom should've been at the Sharing Meeting...maybe it was just Fi here?
I saw her bedroom door open and the lights off. "Odd," I whispered.
Fearing the worst, and continuing down the hallway in silence, I poked my head into her room. And what I saw made me strain to keep my balance. "Oh my God.." I whispered softly.
"Yes..yes.." Tom said softly, leaning over a sleeping Fi. He stuck the long tweezers into the jar and pulled out something large and gray.
A Yeerk.
I choked back a yell and bent down silently. His back was to me, and I had to help Fi. I happened to know that there was a loose floorboard in the hallway near this room. If only I could find--
Ah ha!! Finding it, I silently pulled it out and got to my feet.
And it all happened in a flash. Tom lowered the tweezers to her ear, and as the Yeerk made his first signs of contact, I swung the floorboard as hard as I could. With a sickening crack!, Tom fell over, immediately unconscious. The slimey Yeerk slid off Fi's bed and onto the floor, unmoving.
"What the?.." an awaken, and extremely grouchy Fi demanded, sitting up.
The board did its job and before I could stop it, it followed through, bashing Fi over the head. Unconscious, she slipped off the bed and onto the floor beside Tom.
"Shit!" I muttered, bending down and making sure that Tom was unconscious.
"Jake!"
I snapped around. Marco, looking a wreck, stumbled into the room, looking pained. "Am I too late??"
"What?" I demanded. "No...no...I..."
He looked at the floorboard in my hands, and down at the unconscious Tom and the Yeerk near him, and then his eyes fell on the unconscious Fi beside him. "Jake...I see you knocked Tom out to protect your sister...but what the hell did you do to her???"
I dropped the floorboard, searching for words. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.
"How--how did you know?" I managed to say. "How did you find out?"
He sighed. "I heard Tom and Chapman talking. I looked for Fi in the woods, since I -- " he hesitated. "Since I saw her go in there after she ran out of the school. When I couldn't find her, I rushed here..."
He knelt down beside me and looked at Fi. "I told you she wasn't a controller," he whispered.
I shot him a look. I didn't like being told when I was wrong. "We have to get her to the barn," I decided. "Now. Call Cassie. We're taking a vote."
~~~Chapter Fifteen~~~ |*Marco*|
I couldn't have told Jake about being with Fi at the dock. He would've killed me.
We all sat in the barn, looking at the unconscious Fi that lay on three haybales layed down in a row. A small trail of blood trickled down her forehead as she lay.
I looked away and let out a shakey sigh. The entire group was there. Even Ax.
Jake had explained what happened at school and back at the house. They all listened in silence.
"We've discussed this already once this week..." he commented, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Now we know that she is, indeed, no controller. Let's analyze the situation at hand here.
a) Fi has recently moved here from a different state. Her and I discovered that we are twins, and that she is, indeed, a Phillips.
b) Tom has been trying to get her to join The Sharing since she stepped foot in our house. A little suspicious.
c) If we don't make her into an Animorph, or warn her of what's going on, Tom will succeed in making her a controller. And we won't be able to stop it.
d) She's a very hush-hush sort of person when she needs to be. She's smart enough to keep the Yeerk War a secret.
e)" - he sighed - "I think Fi may already know something's up...she's too smart for her own good...she's going to find out about us sooner or later, whether we keep a low profile or not. If she's ever infested, we're completely dead.
f) And damnit...for the sake of Fi...she could get very hurt."
They all took in the facts. Rachel nodded in understanding. "But Jake...if she totally freaks out...we could be dead then, too. She may not keep this a secret.."
"She would," he snapped in defense. "She's no idiot, Rachel."
Rachel pursed her lips together and looked away.
Set-up, maybe, Tobias said from the rafters, fluffing his feathers a bit.
"Set-up?" I snapped. "This wasn't no damn set-up, bird!! Why would they set up something so incredibly stupid??"
To get us to admit our secret to Fi, he stated calmly. Make us give in...and then have Fi lure us into their trap.
I scoffed. "This is bull shit. She'd never do something like that."
"But," Cassie stated, stepping in for the first time, "her Yeerk would."
"What goddamn Yeerk?" I demanded, looking at Jake. "Jake..tell them--tell them that Fi isn't infested...tell them!!"
Jake bit his lower lip. "Marco...we can't know for sure anymore. We just can't."
My jaw dropped open in shock. "What?!? Goddammit Jake! This is your twin sister...you should be close enough to her to know that she's no controller."
"Marco, I didn't say--"
"Fuck you," I snapped, unable to stop myself. I turned away and looked at the barn door, considering just jumping up and leaving.
"Fuck YOU, Marco!" Rachel cried, throwing her hands into the air. "We're not trying to be the bad guys here! Just because you're in love with the goddamn victem doesn't mean that you need to--"
"Ok, that is just enough!" Jake said harshly, stepping between Rachel and I. "We need to look at what's important here."
I nodded and looked away, sighing. I was a rational person...but I just couldn't believe that Fi would be a controller. She couldn't be. That face couldn't belong to anybody but her...the true her.
"Okay," Cassie whispered, looking at all of us. Ax hadn't spoken up yet, and Fi still lay unconscious on the bale of hay.
"So. Animorph or not?" Jake asked softly.
My decisions reflect yours, Prince Jake.
Jake didn't say anything to Ax, but looked at Fiona. "Ax, this time you're voting. Fi an Animorph or no?"
Prince Jake, I cannot---
"You're voting, Ax," Jake insisted in a soft voice. Not the tone-it-down sort of voice, but the Now's-the-time-to-follow-my-orders-before-I-turn-into-one-majorly-pissed-off-Fearless-Leader sort of voice.
Ax nodded slowly, something he had picked up from humans. Very well. I shall vote yes. Prince Jake, your twin sister must know what is going on in the world. You say she has the sort of - the sort of power to distinctly analyze any given situation...put the puzzle together, as humans may put it. It will be better if she is involved in the war, rather than in the middle of it.
Jake nodded slowly. "Yeah..." he said softly.
Cassie looked down at Fi. "I say yes."
Rachel, arms crossed, leaned against the wall of the barn, looking at Fi. "Yes," she murmered.
Mmmhmm, Tobias said slowly.
I looked at Jake. "You know I say yes."
Jake nodded. "And I, of course, say yes. It's unanimous. Fi's officially an Animorph."
~~~Chapter Sixteen~~~ |*Fi*|
I moaned and opened my eyes, looking up at Jake, Marco, Rachel, and Cassie.
Dizzy, I sat up, finding myself sitting on a bale of hay. "What happened?.." I asked, touching my forehead and bringing my slightly bloody fingers back in front of my face, gasping lightly.
Jake bit his lower lip and looked at me. I looked back, trying to read his eyes. "You're about to announce something that will change my life major, aren't you?" I asked, gulping.
Marco nodded and patted my shoulder. "Oh yeah. It'll change your life, all right."
An hour later, they had explained all they needed to about the Yeerks and morphing and Andalites. I took a deep breath, soaking all of this in.
"Here," Cassie said gently, holding out a hand. A glowing blue box sat on her palm and illuminated the darkness of the barn. I gulped. "What do I do with it?"
"Touch it," Rachel whispered, gazing at the box.
I let out a shakey breath and extended a hand, touching it.
A soft but pleasurable feeling blanketed me. Like an all new warmth. I closed my eyes lightly.
I was snapped out of my short daze when Cassie pulled the box away from my reach. "Now what?" I asked in a shakey voice, glancing around the barn.
You acquire. You concentrate. You morph.
I looked at Ax. He seemed pretty cool for an alien. I gulped. "Morph?"
"Yes.." Marco said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder and smirking lightly. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Really."
Cassie held out a cage containing a bird. I squinted to see it, and I smiled. "The American Swallow-Tailed Kite," I said with a grin.
She smiled lightly. "You know the bird? Not many do."
"Know it?" I laughed lightly. "I did a report on this bird in sixth grade..." I said, stroking its feathers lightly. "In my eyes, it's the prettiest bird of prey in the world."
Cassie smiled. "Touch it. And create a single path between you and the bird. Study its feathers. Its beak. Its talons," she whispered.
I touched its head, jumping slightly as it jerked lightly in surprise. I quietly ran my hand down her spine, as she stopped moving and stared at me with empty eyes for a minute. I took my hand back in and cocked my head at the bird. She blinked and began moving again.
"Its DNA is yours..." Cassie said, smiling a bit.
"Amazing.." I murmered softly. "Absolutely amazing..."
"I know," Jake commented, watching Cassie replace the bird's cage.
Welcome to our fighting force, Princess Fiona, Ax said.
I held up a hand. "Just Fi."
Yes, Princess Fiona.
Jake rolled his eyes. "Fi, give it up. It's a useless attempt."
"And now," Marco stated with a small smirk. "You're one of us."
~~~Chapter Seventeen~~~ |*Fi*|
After a night of no sleep, I got dressed and walked downstairs.
The house was empty. I looked around. "Hello?" I called. "Anybody?"
"Fi."
I snapped around. It was Marco. He smiled and held a single rose in his hands. "Hey, beautiful," he said, smirking.
I smiled lightly. "Hey...where is everybody?"
"Does it really matter? We're alone together."
He lowered his face to mine and our lips embraced one another's. I passionately kissed him with all I was worth. He offered the same.
He slid his hands gently to my neck and pulled back, gazing at me. "You're so beautiful..." he whispered. "So beautiful."
I smiled lightly, wanting him to kiss me again.
"Fi..." he whispered lightly. "Fi...Fi..."
"FI!"
I sat up quickly. Damn. It had only been a dream. Taking a deep breath, I let it back out and glared at the door. "I'm up, Jackson."
"GOOD! Mom said I need to drive you to school this morning because it's raining out. Get ready quick, chick."
The sound of departing footsteps in the hallway.
I sighed and got out of bed and headed into the bathroom, undressing and slipping into the shower.
I sighed lightly as the warm water washed over my cold body. Just what I needed...
About ten minutes later, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself, holding it together at my armpit, I opened the door and walked back into my room.
"Marco!" I cried, holding onto the towel tighter.
He snapped around. "Fi, I--" He looked at me, seeing I was only wrapped in a towel. "Oh my God," he whispered, backing into the desk, but not moving his eyes from me. Knocking things over, he reached his hands out aimlessly to catch the falling objects.
"Marco, what the hell are you doing in my room?!" I demanded, holding the towel and crossing my other arm over my overly-revealed chest.
"I--oh my God...I'm sorry," he said, finally tearing his eyes away from me and turning his back to me. "I just wanted to talk to you."
"And how the hell did you get into my room without my mother brutally murdering you with a spatula?"
"I morphed over, okay? Jake's at school early for that basketball practice and sent me to remind you about it so you didn't worry," he explained quickly, fidgeting furiously.
I knew I was a deep shade of red. Not that I didn't like Marco a lot, of course, but I didn't particularly want him to see me half-naked.
I began laughing lightly.
He turned his head lightly to the side, but not looking at me. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"You..." I said, laughing a little harder. "That look on your face when you saw me..." I shook my head in amusement. "Marco, you're quite a character....and that's a good thing."
~~~Chapter Eighteen~~~ |*Marco*|
Half of me just wanted to turn around and gather her in my arms, kissing her passionately and stay in this bedroom all day long; the other half of me said that was not a good idea.
I laughed lightly. I wanted to turn around and look at her, but I knew it would make me look like a shallow jerk.
"Well, I mean, it's not like you don't look completely hot in a towel--" I stopped myself. Oh my GOD you've done it this time, Jameson...
She laughed softly. "Thank you. I'll think of that as a compliment. Now, Marco...can you do me the large favor of stepping out so I may get dressed?"
I smiled nervously. "Oh..yeah...heh...of course," I said, restraining myself from turning around, I side-stepped to the door and opened it, walking out.
Once out, I leaned against her door and let out a deep breath, trying to stop my heart from beating rapidly.
Concentrate, Marco...you have to find a way out of this house without pissing her parents off...
I glanced down the hall both ways, and snuck down the stairs. I saw Jack in the kitchen, attempting to butter some toast and murmering to himself. "Damnit...nuh...not too thick, Jack..just right. Make the ideal piece of toast...delicious," he said, waving it in front of his nose and grinning.
I raised my eyebrows. Woo...has he always been that psycho? Poor Fi. Being supported completely by him for five or six years...sad... I shook my head and slinked towards the door, opened it, and slipped out of the house.
I leaned against the door and took in a deep breath. "Okay...get to school now..." I told myself silently, stepping off the porch and into the rain, I headed towards the school.
~~~Chapter Nineteen~~~ |*Fi*|
Later at school, I walked into first period and sat down at my desk, smiling lightly at Jenice. She simply nodded at me. I looked up at the clock. The bell wouldn't ring for five minutes.
Marco was still a nervous wreck. He was still looking embarrassed as heck, as he sat in his seat across the room from me. When he saw me come in, he smiled lightly and then turned away again.
I shook my head lightly in amusement. Guys...sheesh.
I opened my binder and pulled out last night's homework, taking a deep breath.
"Hey, Fi," a voice behind me said.
I turned around. Jeff, of course. I sighed and turned back ahead. "What do you want, Kenter?"
"Well. There are a lot of things I want. I want your hair, your lips, your legs,
your br--"
"That's enough. I'm sorry I asked," I interrupted, rolling my eyes.
Marco, who had apparently heard, bolted upright in his chair, turning this way.
"Anyway, my point being...I'm going to the school pool later on. Would you like to join me, hot stuff? Wear a small bikini just for me, hmm?" he asked, grinning.
I smiled back blandly. "Just for you..." I started, running a hand across his chest, "I won't wear a bikini." I smiled.
Him, not getting the point that I was being sarcastic, smiled smugly. "That's more like it. I knew I'd get your body one day."
I laughed lightly. "I'll wear my clothes. Because, you know what? You can go to the pool all alone, and--busy yourself with whatever you enjoy doing in private. You actually thought I was saying I would come? Uh huh. Yeah. Maybe in your overly-dellusional fantasies."
His smile faded. "Oh come on, Phillips...you know you want me bad. So bad, your body is screaming for mine."
"Mmmhmm," I agreed. "And do ya know what it's screaming? It's screaming 'Get it the hell away from me!'" I smiled a clearly strained smile and turned back around in my seat.
Arms slipped around my shoulders. I sighed. "There's nothing that that freak Marco can give you that I can't," he whispered in my ear. "Jameson is a loser. Leave him...come with me and I'm sure you won't regret it. No girl ever has."
I laughed. "Yeah. But I'm not 'no girl'. I'm not interested in losing my virginity to a bastard," I remarked, sick of hearing all of his crap.
"Sure ya are, Fi...don't deny it..." he whispered. He slid his hand down my shoulder. I stared at it suspiciously, having a feeling what he was about to do. Slowly going lower and lower, I found myself unable to stop him...his hand slipped onto the top of my -
I grabbed his wrist right then, holding it hard in my fist, hoping the bones would crush. "You're going to be extremely sorry you did that."
I spun around and threw myself onto his desk, shoving him out of his chair and onto the floor. I leaped to the ground and I was on him in an instant, throwing every punch I could get in.
He was desperately trying to fight back, but I gave him no such chance. "Phillips, you're mad!!" he cried, blocking a punch.
"Fi!"
I ignored the voice and continued to beat on Jeff.
"Fi, c'mon!"
Strong hands lifted me off of Kenter. I turned around and saw it was Marco. Before I could return to Jeff, Marco wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pulling me backwards as I struggled. "NO! Let me at him! Just let me KILL HIM!"
"FI! Stop!"
"NO! Let me go!! Let me hurt him!"
Jake stepped up to Kenter, grabbing him by the shirt collar and lifting him off the ground, glaring at him. "You ever touch my sister again..." He didn't finish the threat. That look in Jake's eyes said everything, as he violently shoved Jeff aside.
Mr. Wattnobbi, who, unknown to my knowledge, had seen the entire thing, said, "Mr. Kenter, I'm sure that Vice Principal Chapman would enjoy a visit from you." He looked over at me. Trying to catch my breath, a few strands of hair fell in my face. Marco still held my waist tight behind me, in case I wanted to go wacko on Jeff again. I let out a shakey breath. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't...couldn't. "Mr. Jameson, please help Miss Phillips home...give her a little time to mentally recover...it is something very traumatic to experience."
Before I knew it, I felt the warm trickle of tears on my cheek. I choked back a sob. Mr. Wattnobbi looked at me. I'd never actually seen the guy smile...but there was just a sparkle in his eyes that made me calm down a bit; a comforting sparkle. "It's okay, Miss Phillips..just get home and get some rest, okay? Jeff will not get away with something like this. It's gaurenteed, all right?"
I nodded gently, wiping the tears away from under my eyes. Mr. Wattnobbi was a decent man..very decent, actually.
He looked back at Jake. "You have permission to leave, too, Mr. Phillips."
Jake nodded. "Yeah..hold on, Mr. Wattnobbi. I have to have a small talk with Jeff here, first..." He gave Jeff a side-long look.
Jeff looked at me. Except it wasn't a look of arrogance anymore; it was a look of annoyance.
I gulped lightly.
Marco looked down at me and smiled lightly. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
~~~Chapter Twenty~~~ |*Fi*|
After practically dragging my limp body out of the school, Marco put his hands on my shoulders once out of there. "Are you okay?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair out of my eye.
I nodded, trying to restrain the new tears. "Yeah..I'm okay...I'm okay..."
"All right..." he whispered, giving me a short hug, then pulled back. "Good...that asshole Kenter has hell coming to him, do you know that? Hell."
I nodded, beginning to walk slowly, lightly hugging myself.
"Wattnobbi's a pretty good guy, ya know...letting you go home to get over this.."
I wasn't in the mood for conversation. I simply nodded. "Mmhmm."
He smiled a little. "Ok. Let's get you home before you collapse from the newly added stress, okay?"
A few hours later, after my parents got done yelling at my school over the phone, I was back at home and curled up in bed, locked in my room. I smiled lightly, remembering when I left that hairpin there for Jack to purposely stumble upon to unlock my door. It had been something I was expecting of him.
This time, though, I wasn't letting him get in by me. If he wanted to, it was just too bad.
I stood and sat down on my desk chair, pulling a drawer open. Gasping slightly in memory, I gingerly ran my fingers across the ring that lay in the very front. It was a gift from Molly a long time ago...she said it was her great great grandmother's.
"I'm glad it's the end..." I said softly, sliding the drawer shut and looking at the carpet. "I'm glad it's the end..."
There was a soft knock on my door. I didn't respond. I knew it was Jack.
"Fi...Fi, please, open up..."
I said not a word. He wasn't going to get in this time.
There was a soft jiggling, and the door sprang open.
I looked at him in amazement.
He grinned smugly. "A bent paperclip," he explained, holding it up. "Hey, I learned from the master."
I smiled lightly.
"Fi...look," he said softly, sitting on my bed and looking at the chair I sat in beside it. "I can't believe that son of a bitch did that to you..." He cocked his head lightly. "You doin okay?"
I nodded and let out a shakey breath. "Yeah. I'm doin all right..."
He nodded. "Good." He stood up to leave, but stopped. "Fi...you know I love you, right?"
I smiled lightly. That was something I had wanted to hear Jackson say for a long long time. I nodded lightly. "I know, Jack. I love you too."
"And you know if I had been in that classroom..I would have beaten the shit out of that guy..right?"
I nodded. "Yes. I know you would've."
He put a hand on my head and messed my hair up a bit; something he hadn't done for a long long time.
"How bout going for a spin in my new car later?" he suggested with a grin. "Just you and me, eh?"
I nodded, smiling a bit. "That would be nice."
He leaned against the wall, gazing at me. "You're one of a kind Fi...you know that? Stay the same, kid." He looked up at the ceiling, sighing lightly. "Glad we're going to spend some time together again..."
I cocked my head lightly. "Mmmhmm..." I murmered.
He smiled a little and said, "We're going to make quite a team, you know that?..." He laughed softly and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
I smiled at the door and shook my head lightly. "Not the end, Fi. It's just the beginning. Just merely the beginning."